Cat
by Musashi Den
Summary: Terry deals with his growing attraction to the newest member of the Bat-family, whose past experiences put a barrier between them. Terry x OC
1. Cat: page 1

**Cat: page 1**

Author's note: New and improved for '09'. I went back and watched all my BB DVD's and just had to do my old fic justice. Revamped and better than ever. Enjoy.

* * *

Terry's footsteps faltered as he entered the cave. He was so used to trotting down there and only seeing Bruce and Ace - sitting in front of the computer. But joining them tonight and perhaps every night was the newest member of the bat family, Tac. Bruce's grandson. Terry didn't believe it at first, and to some degree he still doesn't. There were always questions buzzing through Terry's head about the boy.

_If he knew he was Bruce's grandson why wait so long to find him? Why now? Where's he been for sixteen years? If he was the descendant of a long line of people with dark hair and blue eyes why did he have naturally platinum hair and green eyes? Who were his parents? _

That question had been answered almost immediately by Tac. His parents were Adrian and Jude Kyle. Adrian's mother had been none other than Selina Kyle. And he had been Bruce's son. Tac didn't know the exact timeline of events but his grandmother had told him of his lineage and advised him after his parents death to seek out his grandfather should he ever need help. And that's what Tac did but not before causing trouble around Gotham for a few weeks. Maybe that was the reason Terry was so unwilling to accept Tac into the fold. Just two weeks ago he was a criminal. A criminal that spliced himself. He stole anything and everything he wanted. Regularly cutting gashes into Batman with those claws of his before darting away on his motorcycle. Terry was almost hoping he'd relapse into his old ways just so they could have a rematch.

"It's pill time." Tac informed Bruce with a forced smile. He held out his hand and Bruce just looked at it. "It's the valium or my splicing serum."

"Try neither. You're turning into a junkie." Bruce said.

"Gee, who's fault do you think that is? Hmm....maybe it's the guy that took away my splicing serum and makes sure I can't get anymore."

"You had been over dosing on it. A few more months on the amount you were taking and you'd have done permanent damage to your body. You wouldn't be able to receive regular blood transfusions if you were badly injured. Organ transplants wouldn't be an option for you if you needed one. Plus the splicing serum makes you irrational and careless." Bruce said as he typed away on the computer. Tac sighed as he crossed his arms. He looked at Terry when he walked up.

"Can I at least go out on patrol with Terry tonight?" Tac asked.

"No." Bruce answered point blank. "You haven't finished detoxing, training, or your homework. So if you ever want to go out I suggest you start working on all three of those." Tac growled loudly as he turned around. Ace hopped up and barked at him and Tac hissed at the dog through his teeth as he walked away.

"He's in a funk today, isn't he." Terry said as he watched Tac walk upstairs. He stopped at the top and pushed hard on the clock door when it didn't open the first time.

"Bruce--!"

"Your homework is on the lab table along with a knife-throwing book I want you to read. I need you to stay down here so I can keep an eye on you." Bruce said. Tac let out another growl as he descended the stairs.

"I am literally going to go **_'bat-shit crazy'_** if you keep me cooped up in this dank, rat infested tunnel!" Tac screamed. His high pitched voice making some of the bats wake up and do their best impersonation of his screeching. Bruce just sighed when Tac's echo finally died down.

"It's not dank down here, there's no humidity. Bats are not part of the rodent family, they are chiropterans. And it's a **cave**, not a tunnel. You'd know that if you did your homework." Bruce said, matter of fact. Tac glared at Bruce and Terry shivered from the cold look Bruce gave him back. It would be a miracle if they didn't kill each other in the next few days.

Bruce had been keeping Tac on an unusually short leash. He wouldn't even enroll Tac at the high school yet. When asked why, Bruce simply stated that he had his reasons. It was true that Tac was still detoxing from the serum, Terry knew all too well that an overdose of that stuff was not easy to shake off. And he had only had one overdose, Tac had been doing it for months now. Besides the drugs, Tac had missed a lot of school while he was living his criminal life. Three grades worth if Terry wasn't mistaken. Bruce was catching him up on everything he would need to know for the grade placement exam but there was only so much the elderly man could do.

As for training, Tac was supposed to be learning the principals of the bat family and what it meant to be part of the team. That they never killed and never used guns. That they had their own lives to protect along with the lives of the innocent. That was another thing Tac had to learn, that there were in fact still innocent people in the world - in Gotham. Bruce would show him everything but he had to be patient. Patience was **not** one of Tac's attributes. Nor was listening to and obeying the commands of someone else. He had been living by his own rules for a long time. And for a teenager to go from having all the freedom he could want, to having none was definitely grating on Tac's nerves. Terry knew that _'stir crazy'_ feeling all too well.

"You're doing it again." Tac said as he snapped his fingers in front of Terry's face.

"What? Doing what?" Terry asked catching Tac's little wrist in his hand.

"Staring." Tac said. "You are staring at me."

"What makes you think I'm looking at you?"

"Cause you can't possibly be _'lost in thought'_." Tac said and snorted like the sheer consideration of Terry having thoughts was absurd. Terry just rolled his eyes and let go of the smaller boy.

"Get suited up. The sun went down two hours ago and there are already six things you have to check up on tonight." Bruce said. Terry ran to do what he was told, sparing a glance at the old man. To anyone else Bruce was using his regular bossy tone. But Terry could hear the undertones in his last sentence. Tones that told Terry Bruce did not want him getting too close to Tac, or vice versa. But that just made Terry want to do it all the more. As he pulled on the cowl he looked at Tac - sitting at the work table, growling into his books. The boy was wrapped in mystery, so many things Bruce didn't tell him, and he wanted to know why.

* * *

Terry underestimated how hard it would be to get Tac to talk to him. It was just as hard to get information out of Bruce. Harder even. Bruce trusted him to some extent. But asking him about Tac was like reading a government document. Every other word was blanked out. And when he asked about it, the information was classified. Bruce's best answer was: go ask Tac.

"How am I supposed to do that when he can't stand to be near me?" Terry asked as he put his head back. Max looked at him for a minute.

"You said he's only skittish around you and Bruce? Have you ever seen the way he acts around a woman?" she asked.

"No. Bruce hasn't let him out of the house since he came to our side. Why do you ask?"

"Well, he seems to be cowering when he comes into contact with males." Max said. "Did his father abuse him?"

"No, from what he told Bruce and what Bruce tells me, Adrian loved him. But Tac was like two years old when they died in a car crash. All he really knew of his father were stories." Terry said. "He did spend about eight years on the street after Selina died."

"This kid...." Max asked as she looked at a picture of Tac, Terry had taken with his cell phone. "This kid spent eight years on the street? He looks like he's never stepped a foot out of his Armani loafers."

"Something isn't fitting here." Terry said taking his cell phone. "You're right. He's in too good of condition for a street kid. He didn't test positive for any drugs except for his splicing serum. He doesn't have any STD's. No nutritional deficiencies. Hell, he's never even had lice. He was in better condition than me when he came to live with Bruce."

"You think someone was taking care of him before he turned to a life of crime?" Max asked.

"Or keeping him as some sort of trophy. Do you know of any....splicer fighting rings." Terry said as he glanced at her.

"Ah, finally something to do." Max said as she took out her laptop. "It's been so quiet here ever since you caught him. What else do you want me to dig up while I'm diving."

"Splicer fighting and anything on him before three years ago." Terry said as he stood up. "Thanks, Max."

* * *

Tac looked at Terry. It was hard not to when the older boy went to town on his ice cream cone. Tac tried not to laugh seeing Terry, a full seventeen years old, eating an ice cream cone with as much enthusiasm as a five year old. Tac was just glad he was able to leave the cave. Even if it meant having Terry as a baby sitter. Tac had noticed the sudden interest the older boy had in him. It made Tac uncomfortable. The last time another man took an interest in him he ended up chained to a bed and drugged.

"Terry, why are you hanging out with me all of a sudden?" he asked. He decided to call Terry on his odd behavior. It might scare him off.

"I--" Terry swallowed so he didn't end up spitting ice cream all over himself. "I told you, I don't have any guy friends. And you seem so...lonely. I mean there's only so much you can talk to Bruce about it." Terry explained.

"He told me you have a girlfriend. I'm pretty sure she's lonely too, while you're wasting time with me."

"I don't think we're wasting--

"Look, Terry I'm sure you're the nicest guy in the world and I'd love to get my hopes up and fall for your charms but there's this...dark place in my head that remembers where these come from...." Tac lifted his overly long sleeves and showed Terry the rough scars that marred the pale skin on his thin wrists. "And it's telling me to **not** accept your offers of friendship. **Not** to get close because my trust in the mercy of other people...other **men**, has been so severely **shattered** that I don't even have pieces. I have sand, that sticks to the gears in my head, making them grind together until the memories are so raw and open that I can never....**never** forget any of it." He snapped. Terry just stared at Tac for a moment. One thing running through his mind as he did.

_'What the hell?'_ But instead of saying that out loud he only asked. "What do I have to do to gain your trust?" he asked. Tac wasn't expecting that. His thin brows shot up for a moment before he an idea formed in his head.

"Follow me. But remember - you asked for it." Tac said.

* * *

"No." Terry said flatly and moved to leave the tattoo parlor Tac had led him to. Tac grabbed his arm and kept him from getting to the door.

"You said--

"Yes, let's get a tattoo and bask in the rebellious teen glory. It'll be _ bitchin_' until I go home, my mom sees it, and she **kills** **me** by skinning me alive with a rusty knife." Terry interrupted.

"You're so poetic." Tac said sarcastically. "I wouldn't dream of adding a blemish to that perfect peachy skin of yours." Terry jumped when the man that worked there approached him with a long thick needle. "Pick a part of you that **dangles**. Dante here is going to let **me** pierce it for you." Tac said. Before Terry could react Tac held up one finger. "Your ears are excluded."

"Seriously kid, what ever you are on, I want some." 'Dante' said as he played with the needle. He looked like he had spent some quality time with the thing. There were two piercing in his bottom lip, one in his left nostril nose, four per eye brow, at least six in each ear and God knows what ever else Terry couldn't see because of his clothing. "This guy is too....straight laced. It's like you bought him at the _'goody two shoes store'_." Terry glared at the guy when he got in his face. Terry was about to let him have a taste of his fist when Tac sighed heavily.

"Fine." He shrugged as he looked at a case full of barbell rings. "I guess ** you'll** be giving **me** one then, Terry."

"What?" Both Terry and Dante asked.

"I'll be able to trust you if you don't hurt me....too much." Tac said as he tapped on the glass case with his nails.

"No way. Bruce would kill me. It could get infected and--

"Geez, did you keep your receipt." Dante muttered. "If the kid wants it, I say, give it to 'em." Terry eyed the man once again. Lifting an eye brow when he presented Terry with the piercing needle. "God knows **I** would." Tac laughed a little.

"You're funny." He said as he smiled at Dante. He turned his gaze to Terry. "Look, Terry if you don't want to do it, I'm sure Dante will." They both laughed at their little game of innuendo. Dante was about to walk to him when Terry grabbed the needle.

"Ok, I'll do it." Terry said. "What do you want done?" Tac smiled and Dante clapped his hands. Tac turned and looked at himself in a full length mirror.

"Nothing on the face." He said as he touched the tip of his nose. "I'm not letting you anywhere near my taint."

"Yet." Dante snorted. Terry blushed a little. For what reason he really didn't know. He was used to the way guys talk when there were no girls around. Nelson always regaled anyone who would listen with the tales of his latest sexual conquest. And those stories were always disgustingly dirty. Tac smiled as he lifted his shirt just enough to see his navel.

"Perfect." He said. "What do you think?" He asked. Terry just shrugged but Dante gave him a thumbs up. "Let's do it."

Before Terry knew it he was standing between Tac's legs as the younger boy laid flat on a table. According to Dante, navels were one of the easiest to do. He marked where Terry was supposed to push the needle through Tac's skin with a little black dot on either side of the top of Tac's belly button. Everything was sterilized, Tac's skin, the needle, Terry's hands before Dante had him put on a pair of latex gloves. Dante donned a pair himself and they poised themselves around Tac's little inny. Terry studied it for a minute before he listened to Dante's instructions.

"Hold his skin with your index and thumb....good, now listen to his breathing. When he exhales, push it through firmly until you reach the other side. Blondie, just keep breathing no matter how much it hurts." Dante said. Terry looked up at Tac's face for a minute. He was almost unnervingly calm about the process. His green eyes half lid as he looked down at Terry - his thin lips parted slightly to let out his breath. Having your friend or lover pierce you was something of a new fad. Before, you needed a license and two years practice on cadavers before they let you near a living being. Terry leaned closer and concentrated on that tiny black dot. He could feel Tac exhale and rather than deliberate he shoved the little needle through Tac's flesh.

"Ah!" Tac let out a high pitched gasp, his legs curled up around Terry's for a moment. He balled his hands into fists so tight his knuckles went white and his nails left an indent in his palm. "Oh...." he sighed out. He looked down as Terry completed the job - using the needle to guide a slightly curved, light blue barbell into place. He slowly screwed on the other end and looked at his handy work for a minute.

"Was it good for you?" Terry asked as he smiled up at Tac.

* * *


	2. Cat: Page 2

Cat page 2

"How was **your** night?" Bruce asked Terry once he was sure Tac was upstairs and out of an ear shot. When Bruce had asked him that same question Tac merely stated he had a head ache and he was going to bed.

"Well.....after he screamed at me about how his suicide attempt didn't work, he had me pierce his belly button." Terry said. The odd statement made Bruce stop typing and slowly turn around in his chair to look at Terry.

"I thought you went out for **pizza**?" Bruce asked. "How did you end up putting a hole in him? And what suicide attempt?"

"He lifted his sleeves and showed me these scars on his wrists--

"Those weren't from a suicide attempt. Those are from **Randy**." Bruce interrupted. Terry lifted an eyebrow at the odd statement.

"Who's Randy?" Terry asked. It always felt like he was only getting half of the story. "Some girl he fell hard for? What did she reject him so he--

"**Randy** is short for **Ronald**. And if you want to know who that is, I suggest you go ask Tac. If he's ready, he'll tell you." Bruce said before he turned back to the computer. It was always a sign that Bruce was done talking. Terry looked at his watch for a moment. He headed upstairs. Terry rarely went up into the mansion. It was eerie. All the furniture was still covered with sheets to keep the dust off - except for Bruce's chair and the dinning room table. Terry knew where Bruce's room was - top of the flight on the left, second door on the right. He naturally assumed Tac's room would be up the flight of stairs that went to the right.

Bruce had told Terry to be careful when he explored the mansion. That it was haunted. Terry laughed at first but soon found Bruce wasn't kidding. Wayne Manor was haunted but not by traditional ghosts. It was haunted by old possessions. Most of them packed up and vacuum sealed to keep out moths and dust. Terry did find it a little unsettling when he entered one room, to find a lone feather duster on a bare bed. A cold shiver raced up his back and he hurried from the room as fast as he could. He realized later that, that had been Alfred's room. And the butler's ghost had told him in not so many words to not go snooping through his things. He found Dick's room less threatening, which led him to believe the man was still alive. As was Tim. Terry found Jason's room was hidden behind a locked door and he left it alone. He didn't want to open it to find Bruce had not packed up all of his things but left them there as a sort of museum to the little black sheep.

Terry soon found Tac's room. One that had not been previously inhabited by any of Bruce's wards. Just one of the many guest rooms in Wayne Manor. He knocked gently on the door before he opened it.

"Bruce I told you I've got a --Terry!" Tac looked over his shoulder as he was taking off his shirt and quickly pushed it back down. But his hurried movement didn't prevent Terry from seeing the long healed scar between his shoulder blades.

"Wait." Terry said as he moved to Tac. He lifted his shirt again and took a closer look. In this day and age scars like that were rare. Usually seen on people three times Tac's age, before they started cauterizing wounds and treating them with UV light to blend them away. The long since healed wound on his back looked like it was stitched up in someone's basement. There were small dots lining the fused skin from sloppy sutures made with something that wasn't surgical glue or the old skin thread they used to use. Terry lifted his hand to touch it and Tac flinched at the feel of his finger tips. Tac didn't know of Terry's odd knowledge of things from yester-year.

"They are a matching set." Tac said as he moved away. He brought his wrists up for a second. He smiled weakly at Terry.

"Did Randy do that to you?" Terry asked as he closed the door. Tac gasped at the sound of the door and let out a sigh.

"Ancient news Terry." Tac said as he pulled his shirt over his head. He pulled on a thin long sleeve white shirt before he began to take off his pants. Terry noticed another scar on the front of his thigh. Though not as big, it was stitched in the same amateur fashion.

"Tell me." Terry said as he sat down on Tac's bed. The blond boy looked at him for a moment before he looked down at his feet.

"Technically I gave these to myself." Tac said as he moved a hand over the scar on his thigh. "It was either sew myself up, or bleed to death. Get an infection, die of M.R.S.A or blood poisoning. Those were the only options he ever gave me....other than lie still and take it."

"He, who?" Terry asked.

"Ronald Latiner. Random, skuzzy, low life of Keystone City." Tac said as he sat down next to Terry. "I was at the hospital when Selina died....breasts cancer that spread to her lymph and bones. Social Services were ready to cart me away into foster care before she was even cold. I tried to tell them about Bruce but the only people that knew he was my grandfather was Selina and me. So I ran. Unfortunately I only lasted a day before....Randy snatched me off the streets. Knocked me out and took me god knows where. When I came to, he was rambling on about how I was going to be his most prized possession. How no one would keep us apart. Despite my....protests, he raped me. Over and over and over....for six years."

"....." Terry didn't have anything to say. No questions to ask. He was literally speechless. He had never heard of this before. People like Randy were called pedophiles. And long ago, the judicial system came up with a _'one strike, you're out'_ punishment for any man or woman caught molesting children. Chemical castration. Children everywhere found the confidence to turn in their abusers and over time, pedophilia was snuffed out. Terry realized as Tac was telling his story, the child molesters had simply started keeping their children trapped in a basement somewhere.

"I got this for trying to run away." Tac said as he looked at the scar on his thigh. "After I promised never to run away again, begged and pleaded - he gave me a needle, some thread, a bottle of peroxide and a medical book on how to sew up war wounds. After I patched myself up he began to chain me down." Terry noticed the way he rubbed his wrists. He closed his eyes for a minute. "I got the one on my back....for growing older. I was an early bloomer. I got taller, grew under arm and pubic hair and that made Randy very angry. One night he's drunk and he throws the empty bottle at me - like it was my fault I was aging." Tac scoffed. Anger rising in him as he neared the finale in his story. "Randy got the bright idea to put me to use, make him some money since I had out grown my usefulness to him."

"...." Terry wasn't sure how the story could get worse. He couldn't imagine a worse hell. Rape was wrong on all counts but for a boy so young to go through it.

"He was going to whore me out. He decided to give others a try." Tac said as he suddenly stood up and started pacing. "After countless black eyes, busted lips, bloody noses, torn skin! After violating me for six fucking years he was just going to start renting me out to other people! No sir! I saw my opportunity....when he finally unchained me and took me out on to the street. We were stopped on a corner. and there was an old eighteen wheeler coming towards us. I saw it and with everything I had in me I pushed him in front of that truck and watched him get splattered across the sidewalk. I didn't even wait for the truck to stop rolling. I ran and I **never** looked back!"

Terry stood up and made Tac stop his furious pacing. The younger boy went ridged in Terry's grasp. His eyes went wide as he stared up at Terry. "It's alright, calm down." Terry assured him. Tac stared at him for a moment before he groaned. He looked down before he leaned forward and rested his forehead on Terry's chest. He didn't know what to do for a moment. If he pushed Tac away it would totally negate everything he did to gain his trust. Terry looked down at Tac when he let out an odd sounding sob Terry circled his arms around Tac and hugged him comfortingly. Men usually didn't cry on his shoulder so he did what he would do when girls started crying. He moved them back to Tac's bed and sat down before he pulled Tac closer. "It's alright." He repeated.

* * *

"Terry....Terry...." Tac jabbed him in the side and the other boy suddenly jumped awake. He blinked slowly when he saw he wasn't in his own room. He looked at Tac when he giggled. "Don't you have school?" Tac asked.

"Aw slag it!" Terry said as he looked at his watch. It was 8:17 already. He jumped up and put on his shoes before he raced to the door. "I'm sorry I have to leave. Go back to sleep and I'll see you after school. Bye, Tac." He said quickly before he ran from the room. Tac could hear him stumbling down the stairs and trek across the foyer. The front door opened and closed and his rapid steps couldn't be heard anymore.

* * *

"So where were you last night?" Dana asked in her usual annoyed tone. "You said you were going to be free after you babysat Tac for a while. And while we're on that subject, why does a sixteen year old need a babysitter?"

"Because, said sixteen year old is the only living heir to Wayne's estate. And when my boss says: 'keep an eye on him', I have to or I don't get paid." Terry said shrugging his shoulders. Lying and withholding information were two different things and Terry was doing the latter. Unless Dana asked more specific questions Terry wasn't going to tell her anything else. 'Why bother?' he thought. Getting her involved in that part of his life would only end up getting her hurt. "Anyway, he had a bad night so I stayed with him."

"Lucky boy." Dana said sarcastically. Terry sighed.

"Gee Dana, one night maybe **you'll** be lucky enough to recall a horrific memory from your childhood and you'll burst into tears and I'll spend two hours trying to calm **you** down. Then maybe, **just** **maybe** we'll be able to spend the night together by accident." Terry said sarcastically. Dana stared at him in shock for a moment before she glanced up at Max, who had walked up during the last part of his tirade. She turned her glare back to Terry before she gathered her books and left the table they had been sitting at. "Shit." Terry cursed as he folded his arms in front of him and put his head down.

"If this is a bad time--" Max started. Terry just sat up.

"No." Terry said.

"Well, I didn't find much about our little mystery boy." Max said. "He's what they call 'off the grid'. When he came here from Keystone City he took the train and paid cash. Only uses pre-paid credit cards--"

"I don't need the info anymore. He told me everything last night." Terry said. "Well not everything but I know why he's uncomfortable around me."

"Well?" Max asked.

"He was abused. I can't tell you all the details right now. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it." Terry said.

"His story pissed you off so much that you snapped on Dana?" Max asked.

"It gave me nightmares." Terry answered. "It made me want to find the guy that hurt him and beat the living crap out of him."

"Hm, sounds like you care about him a lot." Max said. Terry's eye brows went up. He didn't even realize it himself - how did she figure it out? He shrugged it off.

"Well, you pierce a piece of a guy and he's in your mind forever." Terry said, smiling a little as he thought about how last night had taken such a drastic turn.

"Wait, what?" Max asked.

* * *

"Uw....when do I get to drive this?" Tac asked as he ran his hand lightly over the side of the bat mobile. Terry grabbed his wrist.

"Never. That's mine." He said. "And you don't even have your drivers license yet."

"Gees, Terry. why don't you mark it properly and just pee a circle around it." Tac said as he continued to look around the cave. He was in an unusually good mood tonight. Bruce was finally letting him go on patrol with Terry. Bruce had noticed a change in Tac after his night with Terry two months ago. He tried harder in his training. He seemed slightly less surly. And tending to his new piercing gave him something to do while he wasn't studying.

"Tac, I have something for you." Bruce called them back over to the main area of the cave. He turned to Tac with what looked like a splicing gun and Tac squealed happily.

"My splicing serum. Uw! Gimme gimme!" Tac held out his arm and rolled up his sleeve.

"I've refined it." Bruce said as he looked at the nearly clear red fluid in the cartridge that he loaded into the gun. "You'll have all of your former abilities but I cut the level of testosterone in half so you won't have the usual aggression that is accompanied with splicing. I haven't yet found a way around the after effects - you'll be a little moody when it wears off but you are anyway. I'll have to monitor your reactions to this new formula to make sure there are no lingering side effects." Tac just nodded and tried to keep himself from bouncing up and down on his toes. Bruce held his arm still and injected him.

Terry watched intrigued. He had never actually seem the process after someone was injected with the serum. Tac shivered for a second and let out a yelp when his tail suddenly sprouted out of the base of his spine. It swung around behind him as if it had a mind of it's own. His ears turned black before they pointed and extended out. His nails turned claw like and went black as well.

"Woo!" he howled and looked over his shoulder at his tail.

"How does it feel?" Terry asked. His experience with the stuff had been painful. Growing fangs and claws was like getting his teeth pulled and having bamboo shoved under his nails. Tac stretched upward before he bent down and did a cart wheel away from them. When he landed on his feet he slipped down into a split.

"Feels great." Tac said. He grabbed his own neck when he heard the difference in his voice. He sprang up and rushed to Bruce. "My voice."

"Hm....the lack of testosterone seems to have made it a little higher. Nothing to worry about." Bruce assured him as he looked down Tac's throat with a little pen light. He took note of it on the computer.

"I guess I can live with that." Tac said. He checked his reflection in one of the glass cases. Spreading his lips wide to see his fangs and smiling when he saw his thin pupils. He turned around to find Bruce standing there with a neatly folding little stack of black clothes.

"Put it on." He said handing it to Tac.

"You made me a suit?" Tac asked.

"I tried. I used your old 'get up' as a template. There are still a lot weak points but your abilities should help compensate for them."

"They always have." Tac said and he quickly changed. "Nice." He flexed his wrists around his new gloves and looked at Terry as he finished suiting up.

"Catch." Bruce said as he tossed a set of keys at Tac.

"Oh, like hell he's driving!" Terry said. Tac pushed the little ignition button and followed the sound of an engine to a little black motorcycle sitting just behind the bat mobile.

"Aw....you fixed my bike." Tac said. The one he used to make his getaways on was damaged some time ago when Batman tried to stop him one night.

"Actually I sold the old one for parts and got you a new one." Bruce admitted. He moved over to Terry and handed him a vile labeled, antidote.

"Just in case." Bruce said. Terry just nodded.

"Come on, McGinnis. Move your ass." Cat said and he revved the engine on his new cycle.

* * *


	3. Cat: page 3

Cat page 3

Terry looked over when he caught a glimpse of Tac out of the corner of his eye. Bruce had finally let him take the grade placement test. His rigorous teaching paid off when Tac was placed in advanced classes. So even though he was in the tenth grade most of his classmates were in the eleventh. Terry didn't expect Tac to sit with him, Max and Dana during lunch. Tac had complimented Blade's new Manolo Blahnik's during his math class with her and the girl instantly fell in love with him.

"That's Tac?" Dana asked. "Why is he here?"

"Bruce wanted to put him in private school but he thought this would be better to develop his...people skills." Terry said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I wasn't talking to you." Dana said and looked at Max. For some reason she always knew more about Terry than anyone else.

"Yeah, that's him. I was expecting someone taller." Max said. "Terry usually goes for the ones with lots of leg." In an attempt not to spray Dana with his soda, Terry swallowed his mouthful in a hard gulp.

"What?" Dana asked glaring at Max and then at Terry.

"I'm just teasing." Max laughed. "Dana, Terry and Tac are having what they used to call an 'emotional affair'. It's nothing physical. The only thing they find attractive about each other is the connection they share. Tac only has his grandfather and Terry. And Terry's only other male friend is Howard. Cut him some slack." Dana looked at Terry for validation of this theory and he smiled.

"Fine." Dana said with a sigh. Terry breathed one of relief. Part of Max's theory was true. Terry was growing attached to Tac but for more than just that reason. They wouldn't understand. They hadn't seen Tac fight. The way he moved when he was spliced. The good effect he had on Bruce's health. The cute way he curled up in a chair to get comfortable.

_'Wait, cute?'_ Terry thought as he looked at Tac again. He was showing off his navel ring to Blade and Chelsea. Cute wasn't a word Terry usually used to describe other men. _'Oh Terry, what a mess.'_ Tac basically had 'do not touch' written all over him. Grandson of his employer. Partner in crime fighting. Lots of emotional baggage. But despite all these valid reasons Terry found himself wondering if there could be something more. _'You're already a guy who dresses up like a bat. Let's not add 'homo' to that.' _

* * *

Terry found himself in Tac's bed more than he cared to admit. To himself or anyone. The boy was a good alarm clock. And listening to his soft snoring was better than any sedative. It kept the crazies from invading Terry's dreams. And having Tac cuddle up to his side wasn't the worst feeling in the world. Tac would always start out on his side of the bed but once he entered a deep enough sleep he'd move around. Sometimes putting his elbow in Terry's side and other times resting his head on Terry's shoulder.

Terry jumped when something cold touched his bottom lip. He didn't realize he had been so lost in thought. He looked at Tac when he giggled. He put the ice cube back in his drink and set it aside. "Sorry, couldn't resist." Tac said. "You were staring so hard my hair was about to catch fire." Terry just bit his lip and glared at Tac. "Don't give me that look. You said you wanted to speak to me. And we only got about five seconds before both our 'hags' come over here and demand our attention."

"Dana isn't a hag." Terry countered.

"Yeah well I beg to differ." Tac quipped.

"And you're just a joy to be around all the time." Terry said sarcastically.

"Never said I was. At least I admit I'm a bitch."

"Maybe that's why I like you." Terry muttered to himself. "I just wanted to see how you're doing. Lately we've been doing that 'two ships' thing. The most I see of you..." Terry trailed off as he looked at Tac. _'Is when I watch you sleep.'_ he thought.

"Terry." They both looked up when Dana approached their table. She shot a glare at Tac.

"Something you wanted to say?" Tac asked.

"Believe me I've got a lot to say to you." Dana answered with a roll of her eyes.

"Too bad I don't care about what that might be. Do you mind? We were having a **private** conversation." Tac said.

"Not anymore." Dana said as she sat down next to Terry. "Besides what's so private that you can't say when I'm here." Tac rolled his eyes.

"The **hag** has spoken." He said as he stood up.

"How **dare** you!"

"No, how dare **you**! You don't even know me- you haven't even taken the time to say two words to me and all you do is scrunch up your little pie face and glare at me all the time. I have half a mind to **kick your ass**." Tac snapped as he pointed a finger in Dana's face.

"**Half** a mind is right. Why does a sixteen year old need someone a year older than them to look after them? Ever since you fell from the sky Terry has been more strapped for time than ever!" Dana yelled as she batted his hand away.

"You think I tell him to follow me around? If you got a problem with his job I suggest you talk to his **boss**. Or better yet, how bout you talk to him instead of constantly **screeching** in his ear about how he doesn't pay attention to you! Maybe if you let him get a word out he'd explain how sick of you he really is!" Tac yelled without thinking. "All I ever hear is _'Dana won't give me a break' _or _'Dana yelled at me again today'_. It's no fucking wonder he's sleeping next to **me** five nights out of the week. It's to hide from **you**!" Dana's face went red and before Terry could stop her she grabbed his drink and threw it in Tac's face. "You're dead bitch!"

"Holy crap!" Terry jumped out of the way when Tac leap across the table and tackled Dana to the ground. He pulled back his fist and Terry caught his wrist before he could punch Dana. "Have you lost your mind?" He pulled Tac off of her and pushed him away. He helped Dana up and stood between them.

"This is very much **not** worth it." Tac growled before he walked away. Terry sighed.

"Are you okay?" He asked Dana. She just shoved his hands away and walked in the opposite direction. "Great." Terry sighed and went after her.

* * *

"Hmm...seems I didn't completely eliminate the aggression problem when I refined his serum." Bruce said after Terry told him what happened at school that day.

"His behavior has nothing to do with the drugs. He's just a hateful person." Terry said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Dana is not even talking to me. Chelsea told me she was in the bathroom crying all day. How come every time I think I'm in a good place something comes along to kick me in the ass."

"Try not to be too hard on him."

"Bruce he was going to beat up an innocent girl-

"A girl who has **never** suffered a day in her life beyond an occasional paper cut or scrapped knee. Tac watched his only family die from a long, painful illness. Spent six years being abused and beaten for no reason. And two years over dosing and having to steal to survive. The only thing I'm surprised about is that it took him this long to finally snap on her."

"Why are you defending him? If he were anyone else you'd have-

"Yeah, if he were anyone else I would have booted him back on to the street months ago. But he's not. I have a responsibility to him and Selina." Bruce said as he turned to glare at Terry. "I've already had this conversation. If you want a better explanation of Tac's behavior - he's up in his room."

Terry sighed before he started upstairs. Bruce had a point, Tac had been through a lot but that didn't mean he could get away with doing what ever he wanted, to who ever he wanted. To be fair, Dana had thrown the first punch. And Terry had to admit that what Tac had said was true. He didn't even realize he had been hiding behind Tac. Using his job responsibilities as an excuse to stay the night all the time.

_'Why?'_ He thought as he climbed the main staircase. Behind Tac's anger had to be a good person. If he wasn't he wouldn't bother going on patrol. He'd go back to being a criminal or he'd find someway to steal from Bruce. Truth be told as much time they spent together Terry didn't know what Tac really wanted. To do good things? To keep the people he loved safe? To be a sumo wrestler? Terry stopped when he came to Tac's room, the door was open and Tac was sitting on his bed, picking at a tray of food. Terry knocked on the door frame and Tac jumped.

"Terry?"

"You sound like you weren't expecting to see me." Terry said as he entered the room and closed the door.

"Well I nearly beat up your girlfriend. I'm...surprised you're even talking to me." Tac said.

"You're **surprised** but not **sorry**." Terry said as he sat down on Tac's bed. He looked down at the tray of food - it was just a turkey sandwich, some potato chips and a soda - more than likely something Bruce made to comfort him. He moved the tray out of the way and moved closer to Tac. The blond boy brought his legs up and hugged his knees. Closing himself off and telling Terry to keep his distance.

"She started it." Tac stated simply. Terry sighed.

"You're not making **this** easy."

"Not making **what** easy?" Tac asked.

"Liking you!" Terry said louder than he meant to. "I mean, I want to get along with you. In order to be on the same team we'll have to. But if you keep acting like **this**-

"Like **what**? I don't know how else to act, Terry. Not **everyone** had a regular childhood. I'm trying to be all normal but when normal is splicing yourself and fighting guys dressed up like clowns it's really hard!" Tac yelled. "Something that girlfriend of yours will **never** understand, even if she were to step out of her posh little world." Terry just stared at him for a moment before he sighed.

"I understand." Terry said as he laid back. Tac raised an eye brow at him. It was an odd change in tactics. He crawled to Terry on all fours and looked down at the older boy as he relaxed into the mattress.

"You do?" Tac asked as he trapped one side of his hair behind his ear. Terry looked at him.

"Of course I do. My folks split up and then one of them died. It's not the same as years of abuse but at least I understand pain. I understand being damaged." Terry said. Tac just looked at him for a moment. Terry let his eyes flutter shut and he absently licked his lips as he laid there.

"Ok, you're gonna have to stop doing that." Tac stated. Terry opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Stop doing what?" Terry asked.

"Stop being so...attractive." Tac answered.

"Huh?"

"I'm not going to be able to be your friend if you keep making yourself so attractive." Tac said. "You're all blue eyes and sweet understanding. Turn it down a notch, Terry. I'm only human."

"Oh." Terry said. He suddenly sat up "Oh...Oh! I...I didn't know you felt that way about me-

"Well, you'd think I'd be off sex forever considering what happened to me. But after I got away from Randy I found someone who helped me...cope. Showed me sex isn't all forced. What intimacy really is. How to let someone touch me without flinching. The splicing was a big part of it." Tac rambled on. Terry just looked at him.

"I didn't know you _liked me_, liked me." Terry said. Tac blushed. Terry thought it looked odd on him. When they first met as enemies, Cat managed to pin him to the ground. In a true testament to how he was a different person when he was spliced - he straddled Batman, ground their hips together, put their lips an inch apart and told him 'No bondage on the first date' before he trotted away. And here was the same boy before him, blushing over a crush.

"Yeah well...you make it easy." Tac said. They looked at each other for a moment before Tac suddenly lunged forward and kissed Terry on the lips. It took Terry a second to get over his initial shock. But a few seconds later he leapt up from Tac's bed.

"Whoa!" He said. "Don't do that!"

"Why not? I thought you-

"No. No. No!" Terry said quickly. "No-

"Are you alright? You're all red." Tac said as he stood up. Terry jerked back when he moved closer.

"I-you-no." He said before he hurried from the room. Tac frowned as he listened to Terry stumbled down the stairs. That had not been the right thing to do.

"Idiot. Now he'll never stay over again." Tac said to himself. Tac jumped when Terry suddenly came back into his room. He rushed to Tac and kissed him. It was Tac's turn to be shocked. Terry's grip on his chin was almost painful and he wasn't ready when Terry's tongue suddenly slid into his mouth. For a few moments Tac's mind was swimming in the sensation. It seemed whatever had possessed him to kiss Terry had transferred into the older boy. But all too soon Terry pulled away and ran from the room again. "What the hell...what was that!" Tac yelled after him as he rushed down the stairs and through the living room.

"I was making sure!" Terry yelled back.

"Of what?"

"I have to go!" Terry was through the front door before Tac could catch him.


	4. Cat: page 4

Cat page 4

"I kissed Tac." Terry said. When he glanced at Max her eyes went wide. Like she didn't think he was telling the truth until he met her gaze. It had taken him half an hour to say it out loud. When he showed up and she let him inside he just said he had something to tell her. And she had waited patiently for him to say anything after that.

"Wh-what." She stammered.

"I said I kissed Ta-

"I heard you." She interrupted. "I'm just wondering if **you** _heard_ **you**. You kissed Tac - a **boy**. You are dating my best friend, Dana - a **girl**. Do you see the problem here?" she asked. "How?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was it those pecks he gives everyone or was there...um-

"There was... tongue."

"Oh." They sat there for a few long minutes. Terry tried not to smile over the fact that he may have finally stumped Max. She looked like she was trying to come up with questions to ask, but she was too shocked to think of anything. "Well, who initiated it?"

"He did, at first." Terry answered. "He told me he liked me. Like - _**liked me**_. And then he kissed me. It was on the lips but it was innocent enough. I pushed him away and left but..." he trailed off.

"But?" Max encouraged him to continue. Terry became a little uncomfortable and he leapt up and started pacing.

"Call it curiosity. Call it a latent self-destructive behavioral trait. Call it hormones - I have no idea what made me go back but I ran in there and kissed him. I'm not gonna lie, it felt so good." He smiled when he thought about it. It wasn't all that different from kissing a girl but there was something more to it. Like doing something you're not supposed to but doing it anyway and discovering how good it felt to do something bad.

"That's a problem." Max stated as she crossed her arms.

"Why? If I liked it I think it's pretty clear how I feel about him."

"That's not what I meant." Max explained. "Not only is he your bosses grandson but he's pretty much public enemy number one with your girlfriend. Oh yeah, you also have a **girlfriend**, that is crazy about you! A girlfriend that has stood by you through all the trouble and weird bullshit you get yourself into!"

"Oh please!" Terry scoffed. He didn't like that Max was trying to guilt him into feeling bad about it. "You think she'll be so sweet and understanding when I tell her I'm leaving her for a boy!

"You're breaking up with her for Tac?" Max asked – like it was a completely ridiculous idea. And on some level Terry knew it was. Just a horribly, unintelligent thing to do.

"No. Yes. I don't know!" Terry groaned in aggravation. He ran his hand through his hair and squeezed his eyes shut – he was developing a headache. "At any rate, Dana is miniscule compared to the shit I'm going to catch from Bruce and my mom."

"You really think Tac is **worth** all this trouble?" Max asked. "I barely know Tac but after what happened today at lunch I'll tell you right now I'm **not** willing to give him a chance. He's a brat only made worse by monetary wealth and your attention. A pretty face does not make up for a complete lack of social tact and courtesy. I mean, what is his problem? Why does he think he can treat people any kind of way and it's okay?"

"... He was raped by a pedophile." Terry said flatly. Max gasped.

"Those exist? I thought-"

"The guy keep Tac captive for years. It wasn't until recently that he's come to terms with it." Terry said. "I can't even imagine wanting to live after something like that let alone be with anyone. And I'm not making excuses for him but it's gotta be hard."

"Terry... I need some time with this." Max said as she got up. "Go home, sleep on this before you say anything to either of them." She moved toward the door and opened it for him.

"Okay." Terry said as he grabbed his jacket. Max was his confidant - he wasn't expecting her to send him away like this. He walked all the way home - his body on auto pilot as he thought things over. It was a fine mess he had gotten himself into.

Terry sighed as he lay down in bed. He decided to go patrolling after Max threw him out. He had pushed himself to the limit in an attempt to keep everything off his mind but it didn't work. Even now, he knew he was exhausted but he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned into every comfortable position he could think of but every time he closed his eyes he'd see Tac leaning over him, Tac smiling at him, Tac leaning in and pressing his soft lips to his. He had eaten dinner, taken a shower and brushed his teeth but he could still smell Tac and taste him on his lips-

Terry's eyes snapped open when he heard something. When he sat up he saw a slim figure slink into his window. The street lights outside making their blond hair visible.

"Tac?" Terry gasped as he watched the younger boy close the window behind him.

"Shh..." Tac hushed him.

"What are you doing here? Does Bruce know you snuck out?" Terry asked as he sat up. He couldn't help but notice Tac wasn't spliced but he only had on a shirt and some tight fitting black pants. He didn't say anything as he crawled into Terry's bed – moving quickly on all fours up Terry's legs. His eyes seemed unusually bright in the dim room. He pushed Terry back as he straddled his thighs. "What are you-" Terry was cut off when Tac kissed him. It felt like his limbs where made of cinder blocks. He tried to move to touch him but it was difficult. He felt Tac's hands all over him. Scratching down his chest and running up his arms. If only he could move his hands up Tac's thighs. He'd squeeze his ass and touch every inch of him.

"I want you." Terry keened at the sound of Tac's voice in his ear. "Do you want me?"

"Yeah..." Terry sighed. He titled his head to the side and arched up when Tac bit his neck. Everything felt so good. The weight of Tac on his hips. His soft finger tips. His smooth voice. He loved the sound of his name coming from Tac's mouth.

"Terry...Terry...

"Yes."

"Terry..."

"What is it?"

"Wake up."

"Huh?"

"Terry wake up!" He saw Tac mouth move but the words came out in his mother's voice.

"Ah!" Terry jerked up to find he was actually in bed alone. It was morning. He looked around confused before he focused on his mother. She was standing in the doorway, looking at him - mirroring his confused expression when he stared at her. "What's happening?" he asked.

"School...in about thirty minutes." Mary said as she looked at her watch. "You were talking in your sleep. Were you having a bad dream?" she asked when she noticed he was sweating and disorientated. He looked at her like a deer caught in headlights.

"What did I say?" he asked.

"Not really anything but I could hear you in the kitchen." Mary answered.

"Oh...well, it's gone now. I can't remember what it was about." Terry said as he sat up.

"Okay." She said. She gave him one more glance before she left the room.

Terry sighed as he walked out of class. What he told his mother was true. The second he woke up he forgot what he had been dreaming about. He remembered a little bit about his window. He dreamt it was open - someone had broken in to his room. He couldn't move - had they pinned him down?

"Hey." He nearly jumped out of his skin when Max patted him on the shoulder. "Whoa, didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't. I was just… thinking." He said. She smiled weakly at him.

"About last night - I didn't mean to kick you out like that, it was just a lot to take in. I mean I guess I've never thought of you like that." Max said.

"You and me both." Terry said.

"Well, I thought it over. And I have advice if you want it."

"…Okay." Terry said – for some reason it felt like he was stepping into a trap.

"I say, don't throw away everything you have with Dana for some fleeting curiosity." Max said. "I mean look at your life. It doesn't need this kind of upset."

"Upset?"

"Well like you said. Bruce would go ballistic if he found out you were 'dipping your pen in company ink'. And dropping this kind of bombshell on your mother - how do you think she'd take it?"

"You're probably right." Terry sighed.

"Probably?" Max lifted an eyebrow. She noticed he was looking over her head at something. When she looked she wasn't really surprised to see it was Tac. He was coming down the hall with Blade by his side as usual.

"That's what he was wearing." Terry said.

"What? When?"

"In my dream." Terry said. He suddenly remembered Tac was the one who had come in his window. He was wearing the same outfit that Terry had dreamt about.

"You had a dream about him?" Max asked.

"Yeah…" Terry said.

"Well what happened?"

"Oh he was just…in my room. Which was weird because he's never been to my house. And we just…talked, I guess." Terry said. He wondered for a moment if Max could tell he was lying. He hoped that she couldn't see the redness rising in his cheeks. He cleared his throat and casually moved his book in front of his crotch to hide his growing erection.

"Hi, Terry." Tac said as they walked by.

"Hey." He rasped out. Blade just smirked at him as they continued on. Once they were out of an earshot she snorted.

"What is with you and him?" she asked.

"He works for my grandfather. I tolerate him." Tac said, trying to sound as stuck up as he possibly could.

"So, you basically pretend not to notice that he has a total boner for you?" Blade asked. Tac burst into laughter.

"You noticed this in the two seconds it took to pass them?" he asked.

"Two seconds? Ever since you came here he's been eye humping you." Blade said. "And yes, I notice things like this. It's how I know to toy with Nelson."

"Or every other guy that throws themselves at your feet." Tac said as he held the door to the classroom open for her.

"Yes well, Terry is one that hasn't. So I know that that particular chubby was not for me. And he wouldn't dare hold one for Max – she's too close to Dana. But you. Well you tried to rearrange her face the other day so I'm guessing you don't really give a damn about the sanctity of their relationship."

"What relationship? She treats him like a handbag. She wants him but at her beck and call. When ever he can't carry her shit around she gets mad."

"That was actually a good analogy." Blade said as they sat down. She looked at Tac and caught a glimpse of his expression. "Did something happen with him already?" Tac's eyebrows flew up.

"You know…. you tricked me and everyone else here." He said. "You are so much more observant and astute than you've led people to believe."

"Thank you." She said and smiled. "Now spill it. What happened?" she asked. Tac opened his mouth to speak but the bell rang. He sighed in relief. He spied Terry, Dana and Max when they came in the room. For a moment Tac looked Terry over. Trying to see if what Blade said was true. And Tac caught a glimpse of it as he started up the stairs to get to his seat. He grinned madly when he saw the bulge strained against Terry's pant leg. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Blade flip her phone open.

"Settle down." The teacher said as he came in the room. Mr. Winthrop – a skinny nerd type that taught biology. Tac jumped when his cell phone rang. "Mr. Wayne!" he barked. "You know my rule."

"I know." Tac said as he fumbled with his cell nervously. He blushed when he heard a few giggles behind him. He silenced it before he read the text message that had made it ring in the first place.

"Put it away Mr. Wayne." Winthrop gave a warning. Tac pretended to shove it in his pocket.

It was generally know that Winthrop was a bit of an asshole. If he caught you texting during class he read the entire thing out loud until the bell rang. And then he'd tell everyone that there would be a test on what they didn't get to learn the next day – so every student had to study everything that might be on the test. Needless to say it earned who ever disrupted class a lot of scorn – not only that but all their private business was aired to the entire class. It's how everyone knew Chelsea had a bit of a cocaine habit. Or that Torrance Cain was cheating on her boyfriend for months and that they both had Chlamydia because of it.

Tac waited until he started teaching to sneak a peek at his phone. He was on the outside of the forth row back. Blade was in front of him. Terry, Max and Dana were two seats back. He made sure Winthrop still had his back turned before he started reading.

"Well? What happened?" Another glance up at Winthrop before he typed quickly.

"We kissed." Blade got the message two seconds later – her phone didn't ring but she looked down into her lap. Tac could hear her suppress a gasp before he saw her arm move to reply. Tac's phone lit up and he did his usual glance at Winthrop before reading.

"WHAT! No way! When?" Another cursory glance before typing.

"Yesterday. He came by after school and we talked for a bit. Then I kissed him." Blade had to wait a few minutes before reading the message. Winthrop turned around to address the class. He asked a few questions. He called on Dana to answer the first and Nelson for another. The third was answered by Max when she voluntarily raised her hand. He then turned to the board as started writing. Blade typed quickly and a second later Tac's phone lit up.

"And then?" Tac had to wait before replying. Winthrop called on him to read from the book. Luckily he told Tac what page to read. After reading out a paragraph about recessive genes, Winthrop called on someone else to read the next one. Tac still couldn't respond yet. After two more paragraphs he turned back to the board and Tac had ample time to type what happened. Blade had to read it in parts though.

"He ran from me." Winthrop called on Nelson to read a paragraph before turning to write key points on the board. "But then he came back." Another paragraph about the XY chromosome. "And then he kissed me." Blade typed and Tac looked down when his phone lit up. He flipped it open and pressed ok to read her message – but no sooner did he start did Winthrop snatch it out of his hand. Tac looked up at him shocked.

"I warned you." He said before he started towards the front of the class. When he held up Tac's phone the class let out a collective groan. "We got a live one!" Winthrop announced. Blade looked back at him with wide eyes. Tac wanted to ask her what the last text said but Winthrop started reading.

"Pressing news from Ms. Bobbi Summer – _'Well, what happened?'_." Winthrop mocked her voice. "Mr. Wayne responds – _'We kissed'_." Tac didn't have to look back at Terry to know the boy had gone white as a sheet. "_What? No way. When?... Yesterday, __**he**__ came by after school. We talked for a bit – then I kissed __**him**__._" Nelson let out a laugh.

"I **knew** you were a faggot, Wayne."

"You **wished** it." Tac scoffed. "Mr. Winthrop, okay you've humiliated me - don't you think that's enough?"

"Oh but the plot thickens – Ms. Summer asks _'And then?'_."

"God damn it." Tac hissed under his breath.

"_**He**__ ran from me. But then __**he**__ came back. And then __**he**__ kissed __**me**__._" Tac bit his lip. Mr. Winthrop was making it a point to accentuate every admission of homosexuality. Tac also had no idea what Blade's last message said. "_Wow – McGinnis must have bigger stones than I thought. L.O.L have you seen them yet?'_ – and then there's a little winking smiley face." The class went silent. There was no gasping or chuckling. Tac was sure all eyes went to Terry. Dana was surprisingly quiet. Tac couldn't take it. He suddenly couldn't breathe. His heart felt like it was about to pound right out of his chest. "Be sure to thank Mr. Wayne for your test tomorrow."

"Tac, I'm sorry—" Blade began but he suddenly bolted from the room.

Terry stayed at school. He couldn't really think to do anything else. Needless to say Dana didn't. She left as soon as biology class ended. Max left around lunch time, saying she was going to check on Dana. She assured Terry she wasn't taking sides in the matter – that Dana needed a friend right now. Terry was still in shock over the whole thing, he just nodded. Near the end of the day he started getting people coming to him, asking about what happened.

"Did Tac really punch Mr. Winthrop?"

"Oh my God are you really cheating on Dana with Blade?"

"Dude, I heard Bruce Wayne is getting Mr. Winthrop fired." Terry didn't really pay any attention to them until he rounded a corner and saw Bruce coming out of the principals' office. They shook hands before Bruce started down the hallway. He spotted Terry and if looks could kill Terry would have dropped dead right then and there. As Bruce passed by him he said something.

"We need to talk." And then he left. Terry felt like finding the nearest bridge and jumping off. In five minutes everything he feared happening – happened. The entire school knew what he had been doing. Everyone he didn't want finding out about his little affair now knew. Except for his mother, but he had a feeling she'd get a call from the principal before the day was over. He felt like he was hyperventilating, he couldn't seem to catch his breath. The hall seemed to bend under his feet and he was about to fall over when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and was actually surprised to see Blade. It wasn't so much the fact that it was her but more of the look of regret on her face.

"I know, you're sick of people asking you stuff but—

"What do you want?" He snapped. She really didn't deserve it but he couldn't help but lash out at someone right now.

"Well, whether you believe me or not, I'm really sorry about today." Blade said. "It was a stupid, stupid thing to text and I have no right to ask you for a favor but can you tell Tac that I'm sorry."

"I will if I'm allowed to talk to him. You might have better luck than me." Terry said before he walked away.


	5. Cat: page 5

Cat page 5

Terry felt like he was walking into a trap. When Bruce locked the doors of the cave he was sure he should've insisted that this conversation take place upstairs. But he stood his ground when Bruce turned to look at him. "Care to explain yourself." Bruce offered.

"I honestly can't." Terry said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't know why I did it and I'm not sure if I'm going to pursue this. I mean a part of me wants to, just so the humiliation I suffered today won't be in vain. The other part wants to go back to my normal life and pretend it didn't happen."

"Well from what Tac told me your second option is not possible." Bruce said. "Pretty much everyone knows about your dirty little secret."

"I don't consider Tac a 'dirty little secret'. And it's not my fault this happened." Terry said.

"Yes, that teacher of yours pretty much sighed his own termination papers." Bruce said. Terry noticed something in his hand. He realized it was Tac's cell phone. He was surprised there was none of Mr. Winthrop's blood on it. After what he did to Tac, Terry thought for sure Bruce would beat the crap out of him.

"What should I do?" Terry asked. Bruce lifted an eyebrow and tried not to laugh. Being asked relationship advice was quite` comical. But he had to remember Terry didn't know his track record.

"Well, for one thing I suggest you pull your head out of your own ass and realize your actions affect the people around you." Bruce said. Terry was taken back by his harsh words. "The damage control I have to do. The things I have to say to keep him from falling to pieces because of something as stupid as a kiss."

"I'm sorry."

"Well you should be." Bruce snapped. "Get your act together. I don't want you anywhere near him until you do."

"You're banning me from seeing him?" Terry asked in disbelief.

"I don't really have to. He's so mortified that he doesn't want to leave his room." Bruce said. "Let alone talk to you."

"But—

"Go home." Bruce said before he unlocked the doors. Terry really couldn't argue with Bruce. So for once he did what he was told. When he got home his mother was on the phone. The look she gave him let him know who was on the line. She frowned and pointed to his room and he hurried there.

"Great. Grounded." He sighed when he closed the door. He took out his cell phone and dialed Max's number. Pretty soon he wouldn't have it so he called whoever he could before his mother came and took it away. He was surprised when she answered.

"Hey Terry. I'm still at Dana's." She said quickly.

"How's the damage?"

"She's….it's not good."

"Can I talk to her?" He pleaded. Max paused.

"That….is not a good idea. Best to let this simmer for a while. Don't stir the pot, you know."

"Okay." He hung up and flopped back on his bed. He hadn't felt this bad in a long time. Not since the last time he had royally fucked up. It reminded him of the night before his court date three years ago. Although he wasn't detoxing this time he was hurting in a different way.

* * *

Tac sighed when he heard a knock on his door. "Come in." He didn't have to look to know it was Bruce with another tray of food. The man kept making him sandwiches as if they had some magic ability to make things all right. He heard Ace come in after him – his I.D. tag jingling and his claws clicking on the hard wood floor. The large dog jumped up into the windowsill where Tac was sitting. He sat at Tac's feet and rested his head on his leg.

"You should eat." Bruce said as he set the tray down on Tac's bed. Ace eyed it for a moment before whining. "Don't try to trick me by giving it to him." Tac's lip twitched into a little smile as he patted Ace on the head. "I'm leaving for a little while. I need to sign some papers to take you out of that school."

"What?"

"I'm putting you in private school, like I should have in the first place. That immoral teacher barely had the credentials to teach anything."

"But—

"You may think it's not necessary but you'll appreciate it in the long run. And you can still hang out with your little friend Blain—

"Her name is Blade." Tac said before he went back to looking out the window.

"You should call her. I'm sure she's worried about you." Bruce said as he placed Tac's cell phone down on his nightstand.

"…."

"Don't stay up all night." He advised.

"I won't." Tac said as he absently petted Ace. Bruce told him to stay before he left for the school. It wasn't long after he heard Bruce's car leave the driveway that Ace perked up. He huffed and looked out the window.

"What is it?" Tac asked. He didn't really expect the dog to answer – he probably just spotted a squirrel or something. He growled and Tac noticed something was moving in the yard beneath his window. He gasped when he saw it was a person. Ace leapt up and started barking. Fear raced through Tac. He was in the house alone. His splicing serum was locked in the cave where he couldn't get to it. He ran to his nightstand and grabbed his phone. He moved back to the window to see if the person was still out there. As he was looking he blindly dialed numbers on his phone. He pressed send and waited.

"Hello?" Tac pulled his phone back and looked at the number he dialed. He thought it had been Bruce's cell but turns out it was Terry's. Tac saw the figure again – this time closer to the house than before - and he yelped. When he did Ace barked louder and scratched against the window. "Tac? Tac what's wrong? Hello?"

"Terry! Terry there's someone here!" Tac said. Today's debacle at school the furthest thing from both their minds at this point.

"What?" He could hear Terry move around as if he were getting up from where ever he was.

"There's someone in the yard. Bruce is gone. I can't get my serum." Tac said, panicked.

"Put Ace out in the yard. Then set the alarm. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Tac snapped the phone shut and ran down stairs. Ace was hot on his heels. As soon as he opened the door Ace bolted out into the yard and ran around the side of the house where Tac's window was upstairs. He shut the door and locked it before turning to the keypad on the wall next to it. It beeped when he set the alarm. Ace continued to bark as he ran around looking for who had been in the yard. Tac felt uneasy in the large foyer. He ran back upstairs and closed himself in his room. He drew the curtains, peeking out one last time before sitting on his bed.

Tac nearly jumped out of his skin when Ace started barking again. He didn't realize he had dozed off waiting for Terry. He looked at his clock and it had only been about six minutes. He heard the front door open, and close. The beeps as who ever it was turned off the alarm. He sat there for a few minutes too afraid to move.

"Tac!" He leapt up at the sound of Terry's voice. He rushed out his room just as Terry reached the top of the stairs. Terry moved to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked as he touched Tac's cheek. He just nodded. Terry pulled him into a hug when he saw that he was trembling. "God, you scared me."

"There was someone here. I didn't imagine it." Tac said as he clung to Terry's jacket.

"I believe you." He said as he let go. "Stay here. I'm going to put the suit on and look around. Stay in your room." Tac just nodded again and watched Terry run downstairs to the cave. He went back in his room and shut the door. He could hear Ace barking again. He stopped after about two minutes and let out a few happy whines. Tac looked out his window and sure enough Batman was there in the yard, crotched in front of Ace. He looked around on the ground for a few minutes before turning on his jet boots and flying up to the roof. Tac heard him land and walk around for a bit before he took off again.

Tac felt a little better knowing he was out there but he couldn't help but wonder who that person was. His former life had left him paranoid. For a moment he entertained the ridiculous thought that it was Randy. After years of recovery and searching he had finally tracked Tac down. And he had come to pay him back for how Tac had chosen to sever their relationship. He eased his mind by laughing it off that it might just be a nosy tabloid reporter here to get the scoop on why Bruce had visited the school today. If it was there'd be a picture of Tac in his window on the front page of the 'Gotham Gabber' tomorrow – some outrageous claim that he was truant and out of control and all the juicy details of his extravagant life could be found on page twelve.

He jumped when Terry came in his room, back in his civilian clothes. "There was definitely someone there. There are tracks in the grass." He said. Tac clutched his shirt.

"How did they get in the gate? Unless they had a ladder there's no way they could jump it." Tac tried to rationalize.

"They may have slipped in when Bruce left. Has Ace been inside all after noon?"

"He's been hanging around me ever since I came home at eleven." Tac said. And just like that what happened today was back on his mind. He knew Terry was thinking it too – he saw his expression change. The silence that fell between them only made things worse. "Terry I'm—

"No. It's okay. As my mom said I made my bed, now I have to lay in it." Terry said as he moved to sit down at Tac's desk.

"So she knows…. everything?" Tac asked.

"Yeah, the principal believes in full disclosure." Terry groaned. "So of course after she got over her initial anger that I'm suspended for 'disruptive behavior' she actually sat down and talked to me."

"About what?"

"Is it true? How long has it been happening? Am I gay?" He rambled off a few questions that had stuck with him. "Sad thing is that most of my answers were 'I don't know'."

"Oh?" Tac asked as he sat down on his bed. "I feel kind of bad. Bruce has been nothing but understanding. Almost like he expected it." He glanced at the tray next to him. "Are you hungry?" Terry got up from his seat at the desk and sat on the bed instead. Tac smiled as he ate the sandwich. "So….not that I need an answer right now but….how do you feel….about me….and what we did?" he tipped toed through asking the question and blushed when Terry looked at him.

"To be honest," he started. "Really great, despite how things blew up today."

"Really?" Tac asked truly surprised.

"All those thoughts that have been telling me this is a bad idea can be over come. And admittedly this is not how I wanted to go public with this but I have to appreciate it was done quickly." Terry said in between bites. "I'm not ashamed of kissing you. Or of liking you."

"Terry…." Tac sighed. He swooned for a moment before something crossed his mind. "Wait, your mom didn't ground you?"

"She was more concerned with me being gay than anything else." Terry said. "At any rate I don't think that I am. I mean, when I look at other guys I don't feel anything."

"Really?" Tac asked. "Not even with Cooper Hill? Cause he's without a doubt the hottest guy in school."

"No. Not even for Cooper Hill." Terry said. He smiled a little. At least one worry could be put to rest. "You think he's the hottest?"

"Well there's Jared Tate – I love 'chocolate' any day of the week. And Rory Millan's go all that gorgeous red hair and those pretty hazel eyes and—" Tac cut himself off when he noticed Terry was staring at him. One eyebrow lifted as he waited for Tac to realize what he wanted to hear. "And of course there's Terry McGinnis."

"Mm hmm." Terry hummed as he finished the sandwich. He picked up the soda and started drinking.

"Yeah." Tac said as he stood up. "He's this tall, dark and gorgeous guy who sits behind me in biology. He stares at my thighs when he thinks I'm not looking." Terry looked up when he realized he was doing exactly what Tac said. "I'm afraid that I've fallen head over heels for him."

"Oh?" He set the soda on the floor when Tac moved towards him.

"Mmm…. I keep having dreams about him." Tac said as he stood between Terry's knees. Terry's eyes went wide for a second. "Dreams that he's putting his hands all over me and making me moan. Dreams that he touches me and I don't flinch and I don't cry." Terry looked up at him and licked his lips. He put his hands on the back of Tac's thighs – kneading the muscles through his pants. Tac put his hands on Terry's shoulders and leaned over. "I want you." Terry blinked at Tac's statement. It was the same thing he said when Terry had dreamt about him. "Do you want me?"

"Yes." Terry answered. Tac closed the space between them and kissed Terry on the lips. Terry brought one hand up and cupped the back of Tac's head – pulling him closer. Tac stiffened a little when he felt Terry's tongue on his lips. He gripped Terry's shirt and forced himself to relax. Reminded him that Terry was not going to hurt him. He relented and tried to remember to breathe as the kiss deepened. The feel of Terry's tongue sent sparks flying through him. His mouth was sweet – the remnants of soda and jelly from the sandwich lingering on his palette. His tongue roamed over Tac's and he returned Terry's enthusiasm. Terry moved to lay back and pulled Tac with him.

"Ah…." Tac sighed when their lips separated for a moment. He wiggled around a bit, as he lay flush on top of Terry. He blushed when Terry chuckled.

"Did you do that on purpose?" He asked as he placed one hand on the small of Tac's back to keep him still. Tac just smiled and continued their kiss. Soon after Terry rolled them over – pinning Tac under his weight. He heard Tac gasp but he just kept going. He ran his hands up his thighs, over his flat stomach and up his arms.

"Mm!" Tac tried to turn his head and tell Terry to let go of his wrist but he couldn't. So he bucked and Terry took it the wrong way. Terry pushed his hips down harder. A move that only made Tac squirm more. Being constrained was making him panic. He tried to move his wrist and Terry held him tighter. Tac jerked his head to the side and finally Terry pulled out of the kiss.

"Terry stop!" He yelled louder than he meant to. Terry jumped off him like he had been burned. Tac froze as Terry stood on his knees over him.

"What? I'm sorry." Terry said. Tac sighed and blinked slowly. He took a deep breath through his nose.

"It's alright." Tac said. "I should've told you I don't like being held down like that."

"Oh? ….Oh! I'm sorry." He said again when he remembered how Tac had been abused. Randy had kept his tied up for years. He may have matured early but Tac's body was still frail from nearly a decade without proper exercise. It made Terry angry for a few seconds, the muscles in his shoulders tensing. He didn't want to think about it right now, not when they were like this.

"It's alright." Tac repeated as put his hands on top of Terry's. He relaxed as Tac sat up a little.

"Well…" he moved his hand up Tac's thigh and gave it a little squeeze. Watching Tac's expression to see if he enjoyed it. His long lashes fluttered and his lips quirked into a small smile. "Tell me what you do like." Tac blushed at Terry's sly grin. So many things ran through his mind as Terry sat there – eager to follow his instructions.

"Take my shirt off." Tac said. Terry immediately moved forward and ran his hands under the hem. He hiked it up and pulled it over Tac's head swiftly. "Take off yours." Before he got the rest of his sentence out Terry was tossing his shirt across the room and unsnapping his belt buckle. "Kiss me—"

Terry moved down and kissed Tac. He ground himself into Tac's thigh, now painfully hard in his pants. He went to reach for his arms again but caught himself before he did. He cupped Tac's face instead before he moved his hand down his chest. Skin to skin contact blew his mind. Tac was smooth, soft and smelt like magnolias. When Terry fumbled over his nipples Tac just moaned into his mouth. Terry's mind was racing. Tac raked his nails gently down his back and rolled his hips up into Terry. He broke the kiss to say something. "What else?"

"My pants." Tac exhaled. Terry nearly ripped them open. He slid his hand in slowly – glancing up at Tac when his fingers sifted through downy pubic hair. Tac arched his neck back and moaned when Terry's fingertips glided over his erection. Terry paused for a second - Tac was too lost in the sensation to give him pointers. So for the moment Terry just touched him the way he liked to be touched. He pulled Tac's pants down and stroked him slowly – toyed his index finger on the underside of the tip. "Unh!" Tac arched into his hand. "Terry."

"You good?" Terry asked as he flung Tac's pants off.

"Yes…yes…ohhh…." Tac moaned. He seemed to gain a bit of his wits and pulled at Terry's slacks. Terry managed to tear himself away for five seconds to shed the rest of his clothes. Tac sat up so he could see. "Wow." It was Terry's turn to blush. He was modest - compliments always made him little giddy. But he had never gotten one about his dick before. "You are... gifted." Tac stared at him a moment longer. Drinking in the sight of Terry. Tac ran his hands down his chest – slowing his pace when he came to Terry's hips. His eyes traveling over Terry's cock again. Fully erect and glistening at the tip. Terry keened when Tac gripped him. A few strokes had him bucking into Tac's rhythm. "Terry, are you a... um, virgin?" Terry stilled at the question and leaned over Tac.

"No." he answered truthfully.

"Have you been tested?" Tac asked. Terry kissed him quickly and then looked like he was in thought.

"I was tested for T.B. in juvie." He said. Tac laughed as Terry moved down to his neck – placing a few pecks under his jaw.

"That's not really what I meant but you answered my question." Tac said. "Do you have a condom?" Another pause to think.

"Yeah, actually I do." Terry said before he moved to get his pants. Tac crawled up the bed towards his nightstand. He opened the drawer and pulled out a small bottle of lube he had 'just in case'. Wondering if that was the same reason Terry carried around a rubber with him – he was curious as to how much sex Terry had that he needed to have it with him. He decided this was not the time to entertain such thoughts.

Terry turned around, condom in hand and smiled when he saw Tac. He had made himself comfortable against the pillows – his legs spread wantonly. He summoned Terry with his finger and Terry crawled up the bed to him. Tac took the condom from him, opened it and rolled it on.

"Hm…you made that look easy." Terry remarked. It usually took him like three tries to get it right. Tac chuckled as he uncapped the bottle of lube. He took Terry's hand and spread some on his index and middle finger. "What's this for?" he asked.

"Boys don't get wet." Tac said simply and panted a little as he guided Terry's hand down.

Terry could hear his heart pounding. It seemed so loud but so did everything else. His breathing, the sound Tac made when his index finger slipped inside. If he didn't know any better he'd swear the room was on fire. He was slippery with sweat. The latex around him nearly full with precum. Another finger and Tac was almost howling. Terry kind of liked making him squirm this way. His barriers seemed to come crashing down as Terry gently prepared him.

"I'm ready." Tac gasped. His face was flushed – his lips rosy and swollen from Terry's ardent kisses. He pulled his hand back slowly before he guided his erection in. "Ahhh!" Tac's scream surprised him and Terry stilled his movements. "Don't stop."

"Am I hurting you?"

"Don't stop!" Tac demanded. Terry pushed the rest of the way in – marveling at Tac's exquisite heat. He watched Tac's eyes flutter shut – not realizing he had come to rest right on his prostate. He was writhing around – bucking slowly into Terry. After a few seconds he got the hint and withdrew.

"Damn…." Terry sighed. Tac was tight. It was amazing. Thousands of sensations colliding at once. Tac dug his nails into Terry's back. Terry touched every inch of Tac he could reach. He had never felt anything like it. Tac just kept screaming his name, begging for more and Terry gave it to him. He gripped the sheets and moved faster.

"Oh God…." Tac gasped and tossed his head back. "Ah-!" Terry groaned when Tac suddenly contracted around him. "Fuck!" Tac shuddered as he climaxed. He let out a little whine as he spilled all over his stomach.

"Tac…." Terry gasped. His inner walls were almost painfully tight now. Just three thrusts later Terry followed him over the edge. A million tingles shot up his back, exploding at the base of his skull and spilling through every nerve in his body. He nearly collapsed on top of Tac afterwards – catching himself on his elbows and easing down on top of him instead. He laid there, his face buried in Tac's neck – breathing in his flowery scent for a few minutes while Tac threaded fingers through his damp hair. He pulled back and looked him in the eyes. They didn't say anything for a long time, just shared the same air and a few loving kisses.

They uncoupled and Terry eased on to his side. He smiled at Tac who returned his euphoric, sated expression. Tac reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a few tissues. He cleaned off his abdomen and carefully peeled the condom off Terry. He dropped them in the trash and frowned.

"You have to go, don't you?" Tac asked disappointed. Terry sighed as he sat up.

"Yeah." He answered. Tac watched him get dressed and put on a bathrobe to walk Terry to the door.

"Maybe you should stay until Bruce gets back." Tac said as he glanced at the alarm keypad – suddenly remembering the whole reason Terry had come over in the first place. Terry noticed the unease returned to his features. He grabbed Tac's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Alright but I gotta stay down in the cave. I can watch the monitors and it's the only way Bruce will accept why I'm here." Terry said. Tac nodded in agreement and they walked to through the foyer together. Tac kissed him as they prepared to part ways in Bruce's study. Terry gave Tac a comforting kiss on the forehead before disappearing behind the clock. Tac made sure the front door was locked before he headed back upstairs.


	6. Cat: page 6

Cat page 6

"Hello?"

"Hi Blade." Tac said. He could swear that he heard her smile over the phone.

"Oh my God, Tac! I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday." Blade said quickly. "I messed up—

"No, it was mostly my fault. I didn't check to see if Winthrop was around. And it was my phone he was reading from."

"Yeah, but it was a secret until I typed Terry's name. That was really stupid. I shouldn't have done that." She admitted.

"Okay, let's agree to disagree – it's both our faults."

"Okay." She said. There was a pause and Tac felt his mood lighten. "I really missed you today. You won't believe how many bitches are trying to take your place already."

"I missed you too. Unfortunately you're going to have to find another running mate. Bruce is taking me out of Hamilton High and putting me in private school."

"Oh no." Blade said, truly disappointed.

"We'll always have the weekends. Clubbing at Marlow's. Shopping at Phipps." He assured her. Blade sucked her teeth. "Plus I'm planning on cutting class a lot so I'll come and see you at H.H." She laughed. "So tell me, was the whole school a buzz with the news of my affair?"

"It's all everyone is talking about. You're the biggest thing since that whole Torrance calamity." Blade said. "You wouldn't believe how many people are sucking up to me just to get information. It's ridiculous."

"But you love suck ups." Tac said. She giggled.

"True but this time it's irritating. They think I'd sell you out like that….plus I don't know all the details anyway."

"Man, have I got stuff to tell you." Tac said.

"Likewise."

"By all means, you first." He offered.

"Well despite everything that happened, Dana showed up for school today. She looked terrible though. Like she cried herself to sleep and didn't bother trying to hide it with makeup. Max was holding her hand all day as she played the victim. And she kept glaring at me like I was to blame for her losing Terry to you."

"I swear." Tac started. "She just gets more and more irrational."

"She walked around all day pretending she didn't know you or Terry existed."

"Well after last night he's pretty much not her concern anymore."

"What happened last night?" Blade asked – truly curious. Tac paused and bit his bottom lip. "Is it a bad thing?"

"No, not at all." Tac answered. "Terry and I had sex." Tac held the phone away from his ear when Blade screamed.

"Oh my god. No fucking way!"

"Yes way. But it's a secret so put it in the vault." Tac said.

"Oh everyone thinks you guys were screwing anyway." Blade said. She let out sigh. "So how was it?"

"Amazing." Tac swooned as he flopped back on his bed. "I don't want to rub it in your face but Terry is the one guy you should've gone after." Blade laughed. "He's just… I have never felt this way about anyone. I mean I love you and I've loved other people before but this is something completely different."

"Sounds like you've got it bad." Blade said.

* * *

Terry's stomach was in knots. When his suspension ended he thought he'd have no problem going back to school. He figured it would take about three days for the whole thing to blow over. But as soon as he walked in the door he felt eyes on him. Heard whispers of 'That's him' and 'you got to be kidding, no way'. If he didn't know any better he'd swear the whole thing happened yesterday. But it was nearly a week ago. Despite that he still got heckled.

His first annoyance came in the form of Nelson, which Terry saw coming a mile away. He made some stupid joke about Terry wanting to be on the wrestling team so bad, finally figuring out why he always lost– that he liked getting pinned. Terry nearly took his head off but Max was suddenly there, holding his arm. Seeing her made Terry fill with dread. She immediately started telling him about everything that had been going on with Dana. Terry figured he better get it over with so he could move on. Max led him to where Dana was sitting in the quad and stood back as he approached her.

"Hey." He said as he sat down. She jumped and looked at him – glaring when she realized who it was. "Look, Dana – this isn't how I wanted this to end."

"But you did want it to end." She said. "How long did you want that to happen?" Terry was taken back by the question.

"A few weeks. A month tops." He answered truthfully. She scoffed. "I didn't want to hurt you this way. I was trying to—

"You were trying to do it in a way that didn't make you look like the bad guy. But guess what – you are!"

"What, no I didn't—

"Do you really think I deserve this? I mean I know I'm not perfect but I didn't deserve to be cheated on, lied to and replaced by a **boy**. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?"

"No, Dana. I have no idea how embarrassing it is to have all your dirty laundry aired in front of everyone." He said sarcastically. "I can't help the way I feel Dana. Would you rather I just go on dating you and lying to myself? I would've been miserable."

"Well as long as you're happy then I guess that's all that matters." She said and rolled her eyes.

"I know it hurts now and I know you hate me for saying it but I really like Tac. Not that you'd know this but he's sweet and—

"You're right. I don't want to hear how you think the sun shines out his ass." She snapped. Terry couldn't help but laugh. He snorted, trying to suppress it and hid his smile behind his hand.

"Look, I'm trying to apologize, break up with you proper and move on." Terry said. "I'm sorry I found someone else….actually I'm not sorry about that and I more than likely never will be. Tac makes me happy. I suggest you find someone that can do the same for you."

"So that's it?"

"I'm not sure what else you want to hear." Terry said as he got up. He walked back to where Max was waiting. She followed him inside. He recognized the look of curiosity on her face.

"Where is Tac? I didn't think he was suspended – not after Bruce came up here and all."

"Bruce is putting him in private school." Terry said. "Getting home schooled until they get the acceptance letter."

"You okay with that?" Max asked.

"I'm gonna have to be or Bruce won't let me see him." Terry answered.

"What?"

"Bruce didn't like how things went down. And I did kind of screw things up. He said if I can't get my shit together I couldn't be involved with Tac." Terry said.

"Gauging how 'ok' you are with that I'm guessing you are already 'involved' with him."

"Max, don't start."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"What I mean is don't make me feel bad about something that makes me feel good."

"Why not? You did it to me." Max countered.

"Well, you were engaging in an illegal virtual reality machine that would've left you a vegetable." Terry said. "I am having protected sex with a boy – do you see where this might be different?"

"You slept with him!?" Max said louder than she should have. Everyone in the hall seemed to stop and look at them. Terry rolled his eyes and pulled her aside.

"Yes, okay." He answered in a hushed tone. Her eyes went wide.

"When?"

"Tuesday night." Terry said. Right now Max was the only person he could talk to about it. And he had been dying to tell someone. Howard had been avoiding him a little – he doubted the other boy would get his recent change. Much less appreciate hearing about the more intimate details.

"Damn, didn't take you long to move on."

"Max, I've been sleeping next to him for over a month. We've been patrolling. We train together. Our 'relationship' has been going on for a lot longer than anybody really knew."

* * *

Tac sighed and Bruce looked at him. He was daydreaming again. Wistfully looking off into space while twiddling his pen between his fingers. If Bruce didn't know any better he could swear that Tac was smiling. Just then he felt like he didn't know something. He pressed a few buttons on the computer and checked the security feeds from Tuesday. He smirked.

"So," He said. Tac jumped when Bruce was right behind him all of a sudden. "Did anything happen Tuesday night while I was gone?" he asked.

"Not really." He lied and Bruce could tell. "Oh, I think we need better security though. Somebody was creeping around the garden after you left."

"I suppose that's how this ended up on the front page of the Inquisitor." Bruce said as he tossed the newspaper down on the table in front of Tac. He frowned when he saw the picture on the front was off him – sitting in his window. The headline reading 'Wayne Heir Scandal at School: are drugs to blame?'

"Great." Tac said sarcastically. "Just because I'm home in the middle of the day I have to be an addict?"

"Well technically you are." Bruce pointed out. "But I think they're referring to cocaine – not splicing serum."

"Life would be so simple if I was a regular coked out socialite. Becky Veland doesn't know how good she's got it in rehab." Tac said sarcastically.

"Any other visitors besides the paparazzi?" Bruce asked. Tac lifted an eyebrow.

"Why ask, it seems you already know the answer."

"Tac—

"I was scared. I thought it was…I thought it was **him**." Tac said as he wrapped his arms around himself. "And next time it could be. I mean if some stupid guy with a camera can make it through the gate what's to stop him? Without my serum or you, I go right back to being the kid he snatched off the street."

"I suppose we could do something about that." Bruce said. "But why didn't you call me?"

"I thought I did." Tac said. Bruce knew it was the truth. "Like I said, I was scared." He looked at the newspaper again. "You know they wouldn't be able to get photos of me at home if I wasn't always here." Bruce tried not to roll his eyes at his hint. He just handed Tac a set of keys and a leash.

"Go fetch Terry from school for me. Take Ace." Bruce said. Tac hoped up and smiled wide. "Do the speed limit. Go to the school and come right back here. No side trips to piercing parlors or crack dens."

"Aww…" Tac pretended to be disappointed at the stipulations Bruce lay out but he just snatched up the keys and leash and ran up the stairs with Ace following close behind him.

* * *

Tac waited in the parking lot for Hamilton High. Anxiously awaiting the final bell and the flood of students to follow. Ace picked up on his unease and let out a whine. "Relax boy. He's coming." Tac said and pet him on the head. He leaned against the side of the lavish town car and crossed his arms. It was odd being out in the quad alone. It was so quiet – the only noise came from the wind slowly sifting the leaves on the trees. Tac suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He got the strangest sensation that he was being watched. He looked over his shoulder and then whipped his head back in front of him when the wind suddenly gust around his feet. Ace barked at his sudden movement and he yelped when the bell rang. His heart was beating out of his chest at the sudden panic attack. Even as the students filled the parking lot he still felt incredibly alone and vulnerable. He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Hey, this is a surprise." Terry said. Tac hugged him. "Whoa…what's wrong? You're shaking."

"Just… an over active imagination." He said as he eased his grip. "How was your day?"

"Long." Terry said with a grimace. Tac spotted Dana over his shoulders. And after watching them for a minute she turned her nose up and walked to her car. Terry leaned in and kissed Tac on lips. He pulled away when he heard Nelson laughing.

"Check it out, guys. The thought to be extinct 'Octo-homo'." Nelson said. Tac wished he had his serum – it would've felt so good to punch the spit out of his mouth and toss him like folding chair.

"Bastard." He hissed. Terry cupped his chin and made him look at him

"Ignore him." He said before he kissed Tac again. "Let's go somewhere and fool around."

"Can't." Tac said. "I'm under strict order to bring you back to the cave. Plus I think we better cool it a bit – Bruce was hinting that he knew about what we did Tuesday night."

"Does this mean no repeat?" Terry asked disappointed. Tac smiled at him.

"Well… he might be taking a nap when we get back. We could—

"Mr. Wayne." They looked up when the principal approached them. "My agreement with your grand father not withstanding – public displays of intimacy between **any** students involved with one another are strictly forbidden on school grounds." Tac just rolled his eyes and handed Terry the keys to the car.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Batman asked. Cat just continued to stare down at the city. His tail was flicking back and forth behind him. His ears were twitching up and down. "Hey!"

"Wha—did you say something?" Cat asked as he turned to Batman.

"I asked if you were feeling alright." He said as he moved to him. Cat just avoided his gaze and sighed. "Look, if this is about the other night, tell me. If you regret it—

"No!" Cat said louder than he meant to. "I mean…no, this isn't about that. And I don't regret a thing. You were fantastic." Batman smirked but it soon disappeared when he notice Cat still looked distressed. "Lately I've been having this feeling. I don't know what it is – it's similar to an anxiety attack. Mostly when I'm alone it's like someone is watching me."

"You're the heir to Wayne corp – people are constantly watching you." Batman pointed out.

"This is different." Cat said as he wrapped his arms around himself. It was odd seeing him this way when he was spliced. Usually all of Tac's insecurities and paranoia ceased when he spliced himself. The serum made him strong, confident and egotistical but it seemed what ever was plaguing him from his civilian life had managed to stick in his head even with the genetics-altering drug running through him. He looked at Batman and forced a smile. "Don't worry yourself with it. I'll just have Bruce up my Zanix dosage." He brushed it off with a cocky chuckle and looked down at the street. "Come on. It's show time." They both jumped over the side of the building and descended on the thieves trying to break into the pharmaceutical company. Cat dashed after the ones that ran and Batman took a few licks from the ones that stayed to fight. Cat only caught two of the five that ran – Batman knocked out all six that fought.

After breaking up a few more robberies Cat headed home by himself. Batman chuckled when Cat gave himself the antidote. When he changed his clothes he made himself look like he had been out all night partying. He ruffled his hair, put several neon colored wrist bans on and ripped his jeans. "Bruce thinks it'll help with the whole secret identity thing to keep the public thinking I'm a 'troubled kid'." He said. He turned to Batman and smiled.

"You gonna be okay on your own?" He asked as he lowered Tac down to the street.

"Yeah." Tac assured him before he kissed him. "See you at sunrise for a nap?"

"You better believe it." Batman said. He watched as Tac walked out the alley and on to the street. He went back up to the roof and kept an eye on Tac as he hailed a cab. One finally stopped and he put on a great routine – stumbling into the seat and clumsily reaching for the door. When it pulled off Batman extended his wings and took to the sky. He was sure the front page would have a picture of Tac walking in the gate of Wayne Manor – looking tired and disheveled with a headline somewhere along the lines of "Wayne does nothing to help delinquent youth". Batman called it a night after foiling a car theft and a mugging. When he made it back to the cave he was surprised to find Bruce was still tinkering around in the lab. He tried to think fast as he changed out of the suit – come up with a reason why he had come back instead of going home. Bruce gave him a look like he knew the reason why.

"Hey…I was—" He was interrupted by the intercom. It made a loud noise as it clicked one and echoed in the cave.

"Bruce! Ah—stop!" Tac's frantic scream was cut off after aloud thump. Terry raced upstairs after Ace as Bruce limped to the elevator. Terry made it to Tac's room only to find the door was locked. Ace barked and scratched at it.

"Tac? Tac, open the door." Terry said as he tried the knob.

"Break it down!" Bruce ordered from down the hall as he exited the elevator. Terry backed up and got running start before ramming into the door with his shoulder. It cracked the frame and he kicked it in. Ace leapt over the broken door and at the figure holding Tac to the floor. He let go of Tac's neck and blocked as Ace snapped at him. He jumped back before running for the window. He leapt through it and shattered the glass. Ace just ran to the window and barked as the attacker fled. Terry knelt next to Tac and looked at the dark marks forming around his neck already. He also noticed his lips were a little blue.

"He's not breathing." Terry said as he propped his head back and opened his mouth. Bruce watched as Terry performed CPR – nearly wringing his cane in his hands anxiously. He sighed when Tac finally coughed and started moving. "Oh thank God." Terry gasped as he caught his breath. He stood up and looked out the window when Bruce knelt down and Tac hugged him. He started crying and Bruce tried to quiet him.

"He was here!" Tac sobbed as he clung to Bruce's shirt.

"Who?" Bruce asked. "You saw who attacked you?"

"It was **him**. It was Randy!" Tac said as he pulled away. Bruce looked at him before he looked at Terry.

"He's dead." Terry said. "He can't have—

"It was him!" Tac screamed. "Don't let him get me. Don't let him get me!" he cried.

* * *

"Geez, what happened?" Max asked as she read the morning edition of The Inquisitor. Terry rolled his eyes when he saw there was a picture of Tac being wheeled into the ambulance. The type over it reading: 'Hard Partying Heir, Hospitalized'.

"That's just a cover up. He was attacked last night at the house." Terry said. "He says it was the guy that abused him when he was a kid but he told me that guy was dead."

"You told me everyone thought Victor Fries was dead. You've seen Inque 'die' at least twice." Max rationalized.

"Yeah, getting hit by an old eighteen wheeler just isn't the death sentence it used to be." Terry said sarcastically.

"So why did Bruce have him hospitalized?" Max asked.

"The house has been compromised. We can't very well lock him up in the cave until we figure this out. Bruce sent him to one of those celebrity rehab hospitals – you know the ones with tons of security." Terry said. "It's the perfect cover for why he'll be living in the city for a while until we can secure the house. Bruce has even gone to a remote location."

"This guy really has you guys spooked." Max said.

"He was turning blue Max. I had to revive him."

"Oh my God." She gasped and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"Bruce would be able to defend himself but not for long… this whole thing is just kind of crazy. But hopefully I'll catch the guy and everything will go back to normal…well sort of normal."

* * *

Terry smiled as he watched Tac sleep. He actually looked peaceful, rather than plagued like he had been the other night when Bruce had to sedate him to get him to calm down. It was hell getting through the security at the hospital. He had to give them his social security number and nearly promise them his first born just to get into the parking lot. It was a good thing though. Tac was safer here than he was at the massive manor. Here at least if his private bodyguard was taken out the people monitoring the halls would be able to help him. The house was just too open and the security system hadn't been updated in decades.

"Hey…" He sighed when Tac's eyes fluttered open. He seemed a little alarmed for a second before he recognized Terry. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Tac said and leaned up for a kiss.

"I wanted to come see you before I went on patrol, see how you were doing." Terry looked at the bandages around his neck for a second.

"Well apart from going insane and having my name smeared all over the papers as a drug addicted, hopeless spoiled brat – I think I'm doing pretty good for someone who saw their rapist basically come back from the dead." Tac said as he sat up.

"You're not insane. You were definitely attacked by someone. And it's believable that Randy may have survived and tracked you down." Terry said. He noticed Tac tensed when he said his name and made it a point to remember not to say it again.

"Damn paparazzi have my face in the paper everyday ever since I came here." He sighed. "Luckily I have friends in high places to help me." Terry smiled when Tac grabbed his hand.

"I don't care if I have to sit on that window sill forever, I won't let him get to you again." Terry said as he leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

Despite his recent troubles Bruce thought it was a good idea to introduce Tac to the company. After all, he'd be taking over it some day and it brought Bruce great joy to let Paxton know that his time as acting chairmen was limited. He assured the board of directors that Tac's delinquency was all behind him – that now he'd help Tac turn his life around. There were of course questions about where he'd been this whole time, who his parents were and even a few demands for blood tests. Bruce answered their questions without missing a beat. And Tac just sat there and tried not to squirm under their scrutiny. They all remarked on how he was unfit for the role but Bruce reminded them all that he was only sixteen. Ten years from now he'd be he epitome of everything expected of the CEO.

Tac thought he was imagining the way Paxton was looking at him. It was somewhere between a glare and utter disbelief. Like he couldn't believe that one day he'd be kicked out of his seat of power by this frail, wispy twink of a boy. "I see you're doing well after your over dose." Paxton said – just a little too loud. "How's the treatment center – I hear it's top notch."

"Very." Tac answered shortly. He wanted so badly to tell Paxton to go 'fuck himself' for making that snide remark.

"I must say you look very familiar." Paxton said as he leaned closer. "You know my new assistant is good with faces." He turned his head and nodded. "He'll be able to tell me." Tac thought he was dreaming as he watched Randy stole up to them and stand beside Paxton. He just stared with wide eyes as the terrible man smiled at him. "Ronald this is Tac Wayne – the new heir apparent. Tac this is Ronald Latiner. He took over for Ms. Thorpe last week."

"Nice to—

"Ahhh!" Tac shrieked and flinched away when Ronald reached to shake his hand. All conversation in the boardroom halted and every eye in the room turned to look at them.

"What—

"Stay away!" Tac fled from the room as fast as he could. He heard Bruce call after him but he didn't stop. He ran into the bathroom and locked himself in the handicap stall. The walls and door went all the way from the ceiling to the floor. He sat on the toilet and brought his legs up to his chest before hugging them tightly. His mind raced and for several minutes he felt like he couldn't breathe. _'What is he doing here? How is he alive? Run! You should keep running! No, hide here! Just keep hiding! He found me. How did he survive? I knew it was him the other night, I knew it. He's going to kill me! Oh God—'_ Tac looked up when he heard the bathroom door open. _'He's coming!'_ The footsteps were slow; whoever it was clearly didn't have to pee. _'He's looking for me!'_ Tac thought his heart would beat right out of his chest – the pain definitely made it feel like it could. Darkness crept into the corners of his vision. He felt like the only bulb still lit was directly over him – drawing Randy like a beacon to his location. _'Oh God.'_ The steps stopped in front of his stall and he put his hands over his mouth to keep from screaming. _'He's gonna kill me. He's—_

"Tac?" The room suddenly seemed lighter when he heard Terry's voice on the other side of the door. He flung the door open and leapt into Terry's arms.

"Terry! He's here!" He cried.

"Who?"

"Randy! He's posing as Paxton's new assistant. He found me! He found me and he's going to kill me!"

"Shh…" Terry hushed him as he stroked his hair. Tac just clung to him and sobbed.

"This is a nightmare."


	7. Cat: page 7

Cat Page 7

"I can't believe you neglected to tell me you didn't kill him. Imagine my annoyance when he waltz' into the board room with that damn old man and announces he'll be taking over in a few years." Paxton said as he paced around his office. Ronald just watched him. "In ten years my plans for this company will just be starting to pay off. And I don't need some snot nose brat coming in here and digging through **my** business."

"You saw how he freaked out when he saw me. The kid is damaged goods. A few more little pushes like the other night and he'll break." He said as he checked the cleanliness of his nails. "His mind will be so cracked even the great Bruce Wayne won't be able to fix him. And when ol' Bruce dies, let's say from a car jacking gone wrong then I'll be able to reclaim my little 'possession' and you won't have to worry about him anymore." Paxton looked a little disgusted by his last sentence. There was something so very off about Ronald's attitude regarding Tac. When he went searching for a hitman he had no idea he'd find one with a grudge against the Waynes already. His curiosity was at a peak over the strange man he had taken to doing business with. Maybe it had something to do with the scar on his face – or the fact that his left arm and right leg were mechanical prosthetics. The thought of Tac being able to inflict that kind of damage on anyone was just laughable.

* * *

"I'm going to kill them both." Cat growled as he watched Paxton and Ronald talk from across the street. "That rat bastard Paxton hired that sick fucker Latiner to kill me." Batman looked at him oddly. "He thinks I'll go down so easy." His claws dug into the concrete ledge and he raked them down.

"We don't kill people." Batman reminded him.

"You! **You** don't kill people." Cat reminded him. "I did it once already. I can do it again and this time they won't be able to patch him back together with metal parts."

"Calm down. I know you're upset—

"Upset doesn't begin to describe the level or anger that I'm on." He finally tore his eyes away from the office and looked at Batman. "That man ritualistically raped me for nearly six years. And everyday I'd cry and beg him to stop – to show some kind of humanity but he didn't. I came to the simple conclusion that he has none. He deserves everything that he has coming to him Terry and if you're not going to help me you can just stay the hell out of my way!" he growled before he jumped off the side of the building. He extended a grapple and swung down to his motorcycle. Batman touched the side of his cowl.

"I think you need to stop experimenting with Tac's splicing serum." He said.

"Why? What happened now?" Bruce asked.

"It's driving him **insane**. One night he's melancholy and the next night he's a sociopath." Batman said as he took flight off the building. "After his freak out today I was surprised he even wanted to come with me."

"See if you can calm him down. If you can't, give him the antidote and bring him home." Bruce instructed. Batman tailed Cat all the way across town to an apartment building. He grappled to the roof and was in the middle of breaking into the stairwell door when Batman stopped him.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"This is where **he** lives. I'm getting 'even'." Cat said. "They think they can play dirty and not have any consequences."

"Cat stop. This isn't the way to get justice for yourself."

"Who said I wanted justice?" He asked as he turned to Batman. "I want revenge, plain and simple. This guy ruined my life. He was going to **sell** me. He stole my childhood, barred me from finding my family and humiliated me."

"So what are you going to do? I'm not going to let you kill him."

"I'm going to wait until he slithers home and then I'm going tie him up, tape his eyes open and make him watch while I literally rip his dick off!" Cat said.

"What?"

"I'm going to use my nails to cleave his penis from his body. Not sure if I want to make him eat it afterwards or if I'll just chuck it out the window for the rats." Cat said – his voice unnervingly calm. "And if you try to stop me I'll do the same to you." He turned back to the door.

"Stop!" Batman said as he grabbed his arm. Cat whirled on him – scratching his chest and arm in a furious strike. "Tac—" He was taken by surprise when Cat threw a bolo at him. It snagged his wrist and trapped him around a pole. He reached to untangle it but Cat grabbed his other hand. "Let me go." He demanded.

"Why don't you want to help me? I thought you loved me."

"I do but what you're talking about is sick. It's no different than what he did to you." Batman said. "The serum is clouding your better judgment. The Tac I love would never think of doing something like that."

"Oh yes I would." Cat said. "It's all I ever think about. Hidden away behind a sweet disposition are the constant thoughts of maiming that bastard and ripping his throat out through his gut."

"I know you're hurting. What Paxton is doing is some low down, dirty shit but you can't be like them – it won't make it better." Batman tried to reason.

"Liar." Cat said. "You told me yourself that the day Derek vanished in that sub explosion you never felt better."

"That was a lie." Batman admitted. "It didn't last because I know he's still out there, I know he didn't pay for what he did to my father. I wanted him behind bars – death was to merciful a punishment."

"And as soon as I castrate Randy, we can take him to the police."

"Cat please—"

"I wonder how you would react." Cat interrupted as he squeezed Batman's wrist. He winced and his heart leapt into over drive as Cat leaned close to his face. "Killing your father was one thing but how would you feel if Derek had touched you?"

"Cat…don't go there."

"If while your dad was at work he came by your bedroom and shoved his tongue in you mouth. Told you to be quiet and behave or he'd kill you. That you'd regret it if you didn't let him have his way." Batman stiffened when Cat cupped his crotch. Not that he wanted to but the suit did not have room for an erection. He didn't have to worry about getting one when Cat dug his nails into his sack. He gasped and grit his teeth. It was a pain akin to cracking his ribs. "How willing would you be to let him live if he forced his slimy dick up you butt and used you until he was satisfied.

"Stop." Batman really didn't want to think about that. Pedophilia was one of the most disgusting things he had ever had the displeasure of learning about. Child prostitution had been snuffed out by the time he was born and he was forever grateful he didn't have to deal with cases like that. And as Cat talked he couldn't help but see it in his head.

"Or how bout your mouth? You think you'd be able to eat after having to swallow him?" Cat hissed when Batman yanked his wrist out of his grip. The spikes on his forearm cut his palm and he jumped away. Batman pulled himself free of the bolo and grabbed the antidote gun from his belt. "No!" Cat screamed as Batman pounced on top of him. The sting of the gun in his arm made him gasp. The serum was cleaned from his system so fast it made his head spin. Batman sighed when Tac turned back to himself right before his eyes. He started shivering and Batman could see the haunted look in his eyes over the things he had said. Batman stood up and pulled him close.

"It's alright." He cooed even though it wasn't. He was still livid but he let Tac cry into his chest. He picked him up and flew down to Cat's motorcycle. He put Tac in front of him as he drove home.

* * *

Bruce was down in the cave, testing the new security cameras when Terry came in through the front door carrying Tac. He watched from nearly every angle as he took Tac up stairs to his room. The motion sensors on the new cameras catching their movement. The cameras were better than he thought they'd be. He had no idea the technology would advance so far in just a few years. They were nearly invisible – Terry didn't even notice the one he had placed over Tac's bedroom door and outside the window. He pushed a button and the audio came in clear as bell. He knew it was a little underhanded to listen in on them but something was up.

"…So sorry about what I said." Tac apologized as Terry took off his boots.

"It's not your fault. I already told Bruce to stop messing with your serum."

"No, those words had to have come from somewhere." Tac said. "The serum had nearly nothing to do with it. This thing – this whole situation is driving me crazy. It's like I can't do anything without someone watching me or hunting me. And Bruce with all his rules…I can't do this. It's too much pressure. I can't be the person everyone wants me to be." He sighed. "It'd be so easy to run away again."

"Don't say that."

"But it would be. I'd go somewhere Randy could never find me and go back to my old life – living carefree, no school, no rules. Just me—

"You'd have to go back to stealing." Terry pointed out. "No more trust fund. It'd be a struggle."

"…I don't know what I want to do." He looked out the window.

"Well what you **need** to do is get some sleep." Terry said as he tried to push Tac into laying down. He clung to Terry and pulled him into a kiss.

Bruce's eyebrows shot up.

"Look I know…I'm sorry to do that after everything I said…I know it's weird and you probably don't want to but…" He stammered. Terry just shook his head.

"No, I understand." He said. Tac smiled and kissed him again.

"You're the only thing that makes me feel good anymore."

"That's so cheesy." Terry chuckled as he leaned over Tac. "It has been a week."

"Far too long without you." Tac sighed and raised his hips so Terry could pull his pants down.

"We've only done it once." Terry chuckled. "You an addict already?"

"Mm-hmm." Tac hummed as he pulled Terry's shirt over his head. "It doesn't take much."

Bruce clutched his chest and sprang up from his seat. He managed to turn off the feed as he headed for the steps. He only got two feet before he doubled back for his pills. He took them and headed upstairs. By the time he got into his old study he felt so tired. He sat down in his armchair to rest. 'Just for a minute' he told himself. "Just rest for a second and then go upstairs and…" Thirty seconds later he was fast asleep.

* * *

Terry jumped awake when his cell phone rang. Tac stirred a little and turned over – untangling himself from Terry as he eased over to grab his phone. He cleared his throat as he flipped it open.

"Hey mom." He answered it. "Sorry I slept over at Mr. Wayne's. I'll be home to watch Matt—

"Stop talking!" She screamed into the phone. Terry jumped up. He could hear the panic in her voice. She had never used that tone with him even when he was screwing up and in juvie.

"Mom? What wrong?"

"Get home now! Don't talk to anyone. I'm getting a lawyer!"

"A lawyer? Mom, calm down. Tell me what happened." Terry demanded.

"No, Matt don't turn on the TV!" She shrieked. "Home now, Terry!" She hung up.

"Is everything okay?" Tac asked as he sat up.

"She's way tweaked." Terry said as he got dressed quickly. "Said something about a lawyer and she didn't want my brother to turn on the TV." Tac looked at him for a second before he grabbed the remote from his nightstand. He didn't have to wait long for the news to break.

* * *

"Underage Wayne heir sex tape." Bruce said as he flung the morning news paper on to the computer console. A very large picture of Tac and Terry half blurred out on the cover. "I really wish you'd stop digging my grave, Tac."

"It's not my fault! What happened to that great security system of yours? How did they even get that close to my window? Where was Ace?" Tac shot a glare at the dog as he lay on the floor. He just wined at the mention of his name and blinked slowly.

"A horse sedative wrapped in a piece of bacon is what happened to him." Bruce answered.

"Stupid dog." Tac mumbled.

"He's just a dog, Tac – he has his weaknesses, same as you." Bruce said and tapped the newspaper.

"I meant to tell you." Tac started. "But you're supposed to be the greatest detective in the world—

"I'm eighty-five years old – some things are starting to slip through the cracks."

"But if I told you I was planning on sleeping with Terry you would've done everything in your power to keep us apart. And let's face facts here – it wasn't his fault it happened. I went after him." Tac said. "But that little white lie aside what the hell is up with this crap! It can't be legal to do this. I'm only sixteen - this is child porn, invasion of privacy, trespassing, defamation of character, cruelty to animals and illegal distribution without proper permissions." Bruce just looked at him before he smirked. "What?"

"You've been doing your homework." He said – down right gleeful or as close to it as Bruce would ever get. "So according to litigation, who should we sue first." Tac hid his smile.

"First we squeeze the newspapers and all the channels running the story for a much as we can – say if they don't give up their sources we'll bankrupt them and all their affiliates. Once we get the sources we sue them for all that stuff I mentioned before. They're looking at atleast five felonies." Bruce looked at him for another long minute.

"You know I was going to be upset about the fact that your school called and expelled you…again. But you might not need them anyway." He said and stood up. "Come on, it's going to be a long day and you still have the star in your own press conference."

"Crap."


	8. Cat: page 8

Cat page 8

It was over a month before Terry was able to see Tac again. Of course he saw Tac on TV – in the rerun stories about his sordid sex tape and the subsequent speeches Tac made during the trials. Hamilton High as predicted expelled Terry and he had to settle for getting his G.E.D. His mother was less than pleased but she remained sympathetic. Especially when Terry confessed that he loved Tac – that he wasn't just screwing around like when he was younger. He was really trying and things just went to hell in a hand basket because of some pervert with a camera. What was meant to be intimate – something shared with the man he loved was turned into something lewd and disgusting. When he left the house he was hounded by paparazzi – the popper that some rich boy had chosen as a plaything. It took every ounce of will power to not scream at them when they said hurtful things like that. What did they know? When he managed to duck the shutterbugs he still couldn't escape the random people on the street asking him if he was 'that guy'.

"Yes, I am. I'm that guy that you paid money to see having sex with his underage boyfriend on some back-port-porn site that claims to have the uncensored version of the tape. Why yes he screams like that because my cock is huge. No, we use 'Roman condoms' not the spray on kind." Terry said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"People are idiots." Max said before she patted him on the shoulder. "So, have you been out patrolling by yourself?"

"Yeah. Bruce never asked for the suit back. But my mom is starting to get suspicious. She automatically assumed I was 'fired' when this thing happened." Terry said. "How was graduation?"

"Over shadowed by stories about you and Tac." She answered truthfully. "I'll be grateful when I'm off to New York."

"I so hate you right now." Terry said. "But also proud and happy that you get to leave this place." Max forced a smile. Getting expelled had pretty much squashed all of Terry's hopes of getting into college. He'd have to wait another year at least before he could take all the entrance exams over and stand any kind of chance of going.

"Thanks." She said. He sighed when his phone rang. His mother had been calling every chance she got. All of her breaks at work were consumed with checking on him and Matt.

"Oh." His eyebrows went up when he saw it wasn't his mother. "Tac." He answered the phone and smiled wide. "Hey."

"Hi, Terry."

"Is everything okay? You sound exhausted."

"I haven't been sleeping." He confessed. "It's really hard without you…can you come over?"

"Sure." Terry sprang up out of his seat. "I'm on my way."

"Terry…" He froze and listened as hard as he could.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I'll see you soon."

* * *

"Hello?" Tac answered.

"Tac, it's Mary McGinnis." He nearly fell out of his seat when he heard her voice.

"Ms. McGinnis!" He gasped. "How are you?"

"I'm…fine. A little worried."

"About Terry?" Tac asked. "We've been talking on the phone but I'd really like to see him. I've just been so busy. Is he doing alright?"

"…He hasn't been home in two days." She said.

"What!?" Tac stood up and started pacing. He tried to calm himself down - rationalizing that he was probably out on patrol.

"He said he was going to see Max and never came back. I think it's highly unlikely that he's coming home after I go to sleep and leaving before I wake up. I called the police but they won't do anything for another day." Mary said.

"Don't worry. I'll see if I can reach him and check in with Max." Tac said. "He's probably staying at her place to keep the camera men away from you and Matt."

"Oh."

"I'm sure he's fine. I'll call you later."

"Thank you."

"No problem." Tac hung up before he walked over to the computer console. "Computer, locate tracking beacon on Batsuit."

"Confirmed." The computer said before it beeped. Tac sucked his teeth when he saw the beacon was staying still at Terry's apartment.

"Send message to Bruce."

"Recording."

"Terry's been M.I.A. for a day. I'm going to check it out. I'm taking my serum. If I'm not back by tonight call Max. End Message."

"Message recorded and sent." Tac grabbed one of his splicing vials before he ran upstairs. He grabbed the keys to one of the smaller sports cars Bruce still had and went to the garage.

* * *

"Where's Terry? Is he here?" Tac asked as he walked into Max's apartment.

"Um, did I say you could come in?"

"Spare me your attitude – is he here?" Tac asked again.

"You've got some nerve you know."

"What?"

"Barging in here and demanding information after everything you've done." She fumed. "I don't know why you think I'm your friend when you've ruined the lives of two of my best friends. Let me tell you right now, I'm not in the business of helping you."

"What are you talking about? I didn't ruin Terry's life." Tac said as he looked around.

"Oh no?" Max asked. "Since he met you he's broken up with his long time girlfriend – successfully breaking her heart completely. He's run himself ragged trying to make you happy. Been expelled from school. Forced to wait another year before he can even go to college because of the drama that seems to follow you everywhere. He can't even walk down the street without some bullshit you started coming back to bite him in the ass."

"I didn't realize I was holding a gun to his head and making him do my bidding." Tac said sarcastically. "Terry is a big boy, he makes his own decisions. It's not my fault. Now just tell me if he was here recently."

"You should know."

"Just answer the fucking question!" Tac snapped. Max crossed her arms.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked. "Is it impossible for you to—

"Terry's missing!" He yelled. "So I guess what's 'wrong with me' is that you are completely useless!"

"He's not missing. He was here last night." She said matter of fact.

"Did he say where he was going?"

"Yeah, he got a call from you and left around ten." Max said. Tac took out his phone and went through the call history.

"I didn't call him last night. From eight to eleven last night I was reading the last minutes from the Gotham Gabber trial. Their lawyer is a complete idiot, they're going to lose to me and Bruce." Tac said.

"Well unless he knows another Tac – it was you. He said you wanted to see him and he left for the mansion."

"On his bike?" Tac asked.

"Yeah—

"Computer." Tac pressed and held a button on his phone. "Location beacon for Terry's bike." The phone beeped. "Damn it." He started to walk out when Max grabbed his phone.

"What is it? Where is he?" She asked as she looked at the screen. It was somewhere in an old industrial park. Tac snatched it back.

"None of your business." He said before he walked out.

"I'm coming with you." Max said. He turned around and pushed her.

"After all that shit you just said to me – the hell you are." He snapped. "I'll have him call you if he's still alive." He got in the car and sped away.

* * *

Cat crept up to Terry's bike and pressed his hand to the engine. It was ice cold – it must've been there all night. He sniffed the air around it – picking up Terry's scent and that of someone else. "Randy." He hissed before he jumped on top of a nearby crate. He sprang up and grabbed the lip of the roof and pulled himself up. He walked as quietly as he could along the tin roof. Certain spots felt like they were about to fall out right from under him. If Terry was being held inside he couldn't lose his element of surprise. He slipped inside through a broken sky light and dropped down to a sturdy beam and looked around. It was quiet and dark inside. It looked like the warehouse was mostly for storing Department of Traffic stuff. There were huge highway signs – ancient ones from back in Bruce's day that had long ago renamed streets on them. There were several salt trucks, some with cherry pickers on them. The office light was on but Cat could see no one was inside through the large glass window. It cast crazy shadows all over the building. He froze when he heard someone scream. He flattened himself along the beam – his ears the only thing sticking up. Another pained scream confirmed it was who he thought it was.

"Terry." He gasped and made his way along the beam to the other side of the large building. He soon came upon Paxton and Randy standing over Terry, who was bound and bleeding on the floor. Randy squatted down and injected him with something. Undoubtedly something to keep him docile.

"Don't miss a dosage. My father told me he can be quite the little pain in the ass when he gets going." Paxton said.

"He's conscious but just barely. Even if this stuff wears off I haven't been feeding him. He's too weak to do anything." Randy said and he cupped Terry's chin and held his head up. His eyes rolled open and Cat could see his pupils were blown – they were drugging him with something heavy. His eyes rolled all the way back and he suddenly twitched violently. "Shit." Randy jumped back when Terry had some kind of seizure. Paxton looked a little panicked for a second before Randy dropped back down and held him still.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Overdosed…just a bit." Randy said as he pulled out another syringe. He injected Terry with it and his shaking stopped. As his breathing evened out white foam seeped from his mouth. "Don't worry – used to happen to Tac too every now and then. The detox will keep him quiet."

"Damn it, Latiner!" Paxton grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him off the floor. "I don't need to be thinking about where I'm gonna bury this kid. You said Wayne would come for him and we'd take them both out."

"He will." Randy assured Paxton as he shrugged him off. He flexed his bionic arm. "Besides I told you I'd handle the bodies." He kneeled down to Terry again. "This one is nice but he's way too developed. I might be able to find a buyer for him." Paxton seemed unnerved by Randy's interest in other men. Especially those under the age of eighteen.

"If he doesn't eat he'll die soon." He sounded almost concerned.

"I've got something he can eat." Randy said and licked his lips. Paxton sneered at him before they both jumped. After the sound of glass shattering the only light in the building went out leaving them in near complete darkness – the street lamps outside let in barely there yellow light. Paxton could make out Randy as he stalked towards the office and followed him. They found a cinderblock was the cause of everything. Someone had thrown it through the window and smashed the table lamp. "He's here." He turned around and ran right into Paxton. "Wha—Why are you here!? Why aren't you watching the boy?" He yelled.

"What?" Paxton asked confused. He had never been involved in a situation like this. He didn't even know why he had to be there. Randy shoved him out the way and bolted back through the building.

"God damn it!" Paxton came up behind him and saw that Terry was gone. He fired his gun into the air – hoping to spook Tac out of where ever he was hiding. "Come on out you little bitch!" They both ran outside when they heard police sirens. Cat was already half way to the hospital in the batmobile with Terry in his lap. Randy was expecting him to attack now and it would only lead Cat into a fight he couldn't win. He'd be too distracted with getting Terry to safety. Instead he gave himself the splicing antidote and parked the batmobile in the alley across from the hospital. Carrying Terry across the street was so much harder without his enhanced strength. As he got closer he started screaming.

"Some one help me!" Two EMTs smoking out back ran up to him with a gurney and took Terry from him. "He's been drugged with propofol… please…" He ran after them as they wheeled him into the hospital. Once they made it to the trauma center they stopped Tac and told him he couldn't come in the exam room. He watched through the small window in the door for a moment. Terry was still for a moment before his feet suddenly jumped and he started jerking about. Tac looked away and took his cell phone out. "Matt…let me speak to your mother." He said as he walked towards the waiting room.

* * *

It was another two days before Tac was allowed to see Terry. Once he was well enough for visitors other than family members. On her way out of the room with Matt, Mary gave Tac a tight hug. "Thank you so much." She kissed his cheek and rubbed her lipstick mark off with her thumb.

"I didn't—

"You found him." She interrupted.

"Has he said anything about what happened to him?" Tac asked.

"Not to me but he needs to – I can tell it's eating him up. Even if you don't tell me what it was…can you?"

"I'll try." Tac assured her. She gave him another hug and left the room. Terry was staring off to one side of the room when Tac walked up to his bedside. His wrist was bound in a cast that went half way up his forearm. Several little white band aids littered his neck and arms. He had a black eye and a split lip and his nose was a little swollen and red. The doctors had him on an adrenaline drip to flush the powerful sedative out of his system. Despite that he still looked really drained – his eyes blood shot and glazed over. Tac just took his hand. "Terry—

"I understand now." He interrupted Tac.

"What?"

"I understand now why you want him dead. He's beyond redemption. The things he said to me, what he…did – it was nowhere near what you went through but I get it now. He's a disgusting person with an even sicker fetish. He deserves to die." Terry said before he turned his head to look at Tac. "We do this…we can never tell Bruce or anyone. His body can never be found."

"I hear you." Tac said before he crawled into the bed beside Terry. He leaned into the pillows and Terry rested his head on Tac's shoulder. "Tell me what he did to you."


	9. Cat: page 9

Cat page 9

"This is messy." Bruce admitted as he looked at the newspapers in front of him. In the week that Terry was in the hospital there had been a firestorm of stories – mostly speculation about domestic abuse, drug use and other sordid allegations about his relationship with Tac. It was indeed a mess that made all of them look bad. Tac just swept the papers into the trash.

"I have a plan." He assured Bruce. "But I need you to handle the remainder of the lawsuits over the sex tape."

"Tell me the plan first." Bruce insisted. Tac held up several envelopes and Bruce realized they were invitations to the socialite events he used to despise attending.

"Me and Terry show up to a few of these as model citizens. Hob knob with the gossipers and let them know the truth. There are no drugs, there is no problem in our relationship besides the paparazzi that seem bent on destroying it." He said.

"That's the truth?" Bruce asked lifting and eyebrow. Tac crossed his arms. "Okay."

"Randy will see this as a huge slap in the face. He'll get angry – he'll get sloppy in his attempt for revenge. He'll try to kill me and Terry and when he tries BAM! He and Paxton are exposed to the public for what they really are. I reveal my past with Randy showing physical evidence—" Tac tapped his wrist. "Get the reports from the truck that hit him, give the location of his little dungeon."

"You think it's still there?" Bruce asked.

"I know it is. Someone like him wouldn't get rid of anything. My blood is still all over the walls and everything in there." Tac said.

"This is what you want? For everyone to know what happened to you?" Bruce asked. Tac pushed his sleeve up and looked at the scars that littered his wrists. He looked up when Terry came limping into the cave. Randy had torn a few tendons in his knee when he was beating on him. Terry would recover but the sight of him still sore and miserable gave Tac an amount of purpose he had never felt before.

"It's what needs to be done. And it's what I want." Tac said. He smiled at Terry. "Get dressed."

"Can't get my cast in the suit." Terry said. "I'm gonna go over some cold cases."

"Not tonight. We're going to a party."

* * *

Over the next few weeks the papers had nothing but positive stories about Gotham's hottest new 'IT' couple. They passed Terry's injuries off as a motorcycle accident. His brush with death had made Tac clean up his act for good. Terry went from being a 'plaything' to an 'up and coming young man'. The events they went to worked in more ways than one. Sure they were making good appearances but Terry also met some of Gotham's most influential people. They were surprised at how intelligent he was. He got solid job offers from being an accountant to art gallery curator to everything else. He genuinely enjoyed being in a higher circle. All the muck from high school was cast off.

Tac blossomed as Bruce's heir. Once the other blue bloods got to know the real him they were charmed by his quick wit and impeccable tastes. His effeminate attitude and ability to roll with the punches had him go from 'drug addict' to 'golden boy'. In just a month he had the other socialites backing him and the company. The mayor even spoke on his behalf during the sex tape trial. Which he won in a landslide jury vote. Now Wayne Corp owned the Gotham Gabber and The Herald.

But not everyone bought their story. Max was furious that Terry had all but forgotten about her but it was hard to stay close when they lived in two different cities now. Mary was beyond suspicious of the 'car accident' spin to things. She didn't demand the truth like Max but she made it clear that she knew something was up.

"Is this all for the cameras?" Terry asked as Tac held a shirt up to his chest.

"No, I really think you'll look good in blue." Tac said as he held up a tie.

"No—I mean us. It seems like all this stuff we do together has been a little fake." Terry said.

"It's not." Tac assured him. "I really love you. The society parties are a little lame. Can't tell you how badly I want to take you to 'Tonic' and dance the way we used to." He whispered as he wrapped his arms around Terry's neck. He pulled himself flush against Terry and moaned softly. "Get all worked up on the dance floor and then… go to that bathroom stall with the handicap rail in it. But we have to be good…"

"If we're too good people will suspect we're acting." Terry said as he pressed his forehead to Tac's.

"I suppose one night of acting our ages wouldn't ruin everything." Tac said as he leaned up. Terry kissed him – putting his hand on the back of his head to pull him closer. He could practically hear all the flash bulbs that went off outside the shop. They hadn't shown public affection beyond holding hands or simple pecks on the cheek. Terry wasn't holding back as he kissed Tac and vice versa. Tac dug his nails into Terry's shoulders and he grabbed Tac's butt. "Mm…down boy." Tac moaned as he pulled away. "Don't want a sequel to our sex tape."

"You started it." Terry chuckled before he gave Tac a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Come on. I wanna show you something."

"Please let it be your thong in the bathroom at Tonic." Terry said as he gave Tac's ass one more feel before he let him go. Tac gave him a look when he mentioned his underwear. "You thought I wouldn't notice?" He just laughed and led Terry out the store. They ignored the shutterbugs and took a taxi to a high-rise apartment building. Tac greeted the doorman before they got on the elevator. He pulled out a key card and hit the 'PH' button. Once they reached the top Terry looked around the expansive and lavishly furnished modern penthouse. "House hunting?" Terry asked.

"Nah, I bought it last week. As a birthday present for myself." Tac explained as he took off his shoes.

"Bruce know you're moving out?" Terry asked surprised.

"He practically packed my bags for me." Tac answered. Terry was taking in the view of Gotham as Tac walked up behind him. "It's only ten minutes from the house anyway. There's a suite where he can stay if he wants. Master bedroom has space for you too."

"Really!?" Terry whirled around and stared at him with wide eyes.

"If you want to." Tac said coyly. "Wanna move in with me?"

"I certainly ain't leaving you alone here." Terry said before he scooped Tac up in his arms. For a moment he completely forgot about Randy and the plan to take him out. Right now it was just him and Tac. He ran his hands through Terry's hair and smiled at him.

"Don't ever leave…" He sighed. Terry devoured his mouth. Kissing him so fervently that they both moaned and clung to each other. Terry slipped his hands under Tac shirt and was lifting it when Tac suddenly nipped his bottom lip. He pulled away and Tac chuckled. He stuck out his index fingers and put them on the side of his head. "Meow, I'm a criminal." He purred in the similar fashion that he did when he was spliced. Terry smirked when Tac went trotting to the other side of the apartment. "Come and get me, Batman." Terry couldn't get after him fast enough. Discarding his shirt and boots on the way. He followed Tac through the kitchen and up a flight of stairs and found himself in the bed room. A very large bed sat in the middle of the room – a small modern crystal chandelier hanging over it. Just like the rest of the apartment it had floor to ceiling windows with tempered glass that allowed them to see out but no one to see in. Tac sprawled himself across the bed. His shirt hiking up – Terry didn't think there was anything sexier than the sight of his navel, pale hips and flat stomach peeking out under his dark clothes. He crawled on top of Tac and was finally able to pull his shirt off. "Wait…" Tac gasped as Terry reached for his pants.

"I can't." Terry growled before he kissed Tac's neck. Sucking and licking like Tac was made of candy. Tac whined and reached up. He fumbled with a little remote before he pressed the button he had been looking for. The room was filled with music – a deep base line with a slow rhythm that Terry found himself grinding his hips to.

"You miss the club." Tac chuckled. He gasped when Terry ran his hands all over him. He lifted his hips so Terry could pull his pants off. He flipped Tac over on to his stomach so he could get a good look at his thong. The black string disappearing between his plump cheeks. As Terry leaned up to unbutton his pants Tac arched his back and let out a moan that made Terry so hard it hurt. He flung his pants off and took his position behind Tac. He took his time pulling down his barely-there underwear. Hooking his thumbs under it on each side before he eased it down. Tac sighed as he placed kisses along his back and buttocks as he moved downward. He curled his toes a little as Terry slingshot the fabric off him. He expected Terry to come back up and lay flush on top of him but he stopped half way up his legs. Tac twitched a little when he felt Terry's large hands on his cheeks – spreading him apart, apparently so he could get a good look at him. "Well don't just stare at it. Get—AH!" Tac genuinely screamed when Terry suddenly laved over his hole. "Terry!" Another lap and Tac arched into it. By the third pass he was putty in Terry's hands. For a second he wondered where Terry had gotten the idea to do that. But then Terry moaned like he was eating the most delicious thing in the world – deep and feral before he shoved his tongue inside and all Tac could think of was how it felt so good he thought he might actually die from the exquisite sensation. By the time Terry felt he was good and wet Tac was trembling beneath him.

"Babe, do you have condoms here?" Terry asked and it took a minute for Tac to register the question. He just pointed to the night stand and Terry leaned up to get to it. He thought Terry couldn't get it on soon enough. But he bit his lip when he felt Terry press into him. Slow and easy. Sweet and deliberate in his movements. Tac was overwhelmed – he had never felt so full. And yet he wanted more. The feel of Terry's hands on his hips. The smell of him, the heat, their sex. It was intoxicating. "How's that feel?" He pulled out and thrust back in. So hard it shifted Tac forward. He howled and spread his legs wider.

"Terry…yes!" He screamed when he did it again. He got into his pace and Tac clawed at the sheets. Reaching a new peak every time Terry moved. He just moaned and writhed under his grip. Terry soon leaned over and placed his hands on the mattress. The new angle made Tac see stars. His spot stroked with every thrust. "Terry!" He grabbed hold of his wrist with one hand and Terry slowed down.

"Am I hurting you?" He asked breathlessly.

"No…" Tac squeezed him a bit and Terry bucked. He moaned like he was helpless – pleading for Tac not to tease him like that. "Get on your back." He demanded. Terry pulled out and did as he was told. Licking his lips as Tac straddled him. Tac put his hands on Terry's chest after impaling himself on his cock. Rolling his hips and getting his legs in a comfortable position before he eased up.

"Oh…" Terry shuddered when Tac slammed back down. His body convulsing with each bounce. Being held so tight, the sight of Tac as he rode him. His pretty green eyes, his blond hair sticking to the sweat on his face. God, he was so beautiful like this. Terry sat up and kissed him. Tac clung to his shoulders as he shifted them. He hiked one leg up and wrapped the other around Terry's back. He cupped Terry's face and looked into his eyes.

"Make me cum." He whispered against his lips. "Terry…please." The wanton little moan had Terry on the edge. So close to the release he desperately needed. He thrust into Tac with purpose – making him toss his head back from the intensity. Terry licked over his neck, tangling his fingers in his soft hair. He felt Tac's hands on him – his finger nails raking down his back. Terry tried to hold back until Tac reached his apex but he just couldn't take anymore – having Tac so snug against him. He came hard. His body jerking inward as he was consumed. "Terry!" He buried his face in Tac's neck as the feel of him going taut. The warm splash of Tac's orgasm against his abdomen. His climax so intense he sobbed – "I love you!" Terry kissed him as they came down – bodies relaxing against each other. The first real intimacy they had since the 'sex tape' was made. But this time Tac was all his. He brushed the hair back off of Terry's forehead and smiled lazily at him. Terry just smiled back and gave him little pecks all over. He hissed a little when Terry pulled out. "No…stay inside…" He whined as Terry rolled off him. He tied off the condom and tossed it in the trash.

"I'll get stuck." Terry laughed as he settled next to Tac for a second.

"I'm good with that." Tac said. Terry chuckled as he pulled the sheets from their tucked position under the pillows. Tac crawled under the covers with him and they settled into a spooning position.

"I love you too." Terry whispered before he nuzzled his ear. Tac hugged Terry's arms around him a little tighter before he closed his eyes.

* * *

Tac decided to have the yearly Christmas party at his apartment. Terry was a little nervous about it. Not only had it been a good six months since he was rescued from Paxton and Randy but it had also been while since he did any kind of serious fighting. His wrist and knee had healed just fine and he had been going out on patrol and popping petty criminals. He worked out regularly to make up for the fact he hadn't done any heavy lifting. It seemed like Inque, Spellbinder and the other rogues had taken some kind of vacation. He had only fought them once or twice since this whole thing started.

"Terry get showered, that party starts in an hour." Tac called from down stairs. He did one more sit up before he stood up and looked over the railing. Tac was currently on a step ladder trying to place a star on top of the tree. He had hired a party planning group to help with decorating. Terry wondered if they helped with taking things down too because the apartment was nearly drowning in garland, twinkling lights, red and green decorations – you name it. He picked up a random candy cane and opened it.

"You sure this is a good idea?" He asked as he came down stairs. "There are so many ways for this to go."

"I know and I've thought about most of them. Paxton is pissed about Bruce pretty much buying him out of sole ownership of the company. He might get sloppy and it'll be easy to take him down with Randy. Or his anger has given him numerous ways to fuck with us…" Tac said as he adjusted a snowflake on the tree. "We'll get through it – if you get in the shower now." He pulled the candy cane out Terry's mouth and took a bite out of it. "That'll be you if I have to tell you again."

"Yes sir." Terry said and headed back upstairs. Living together was just what he had expected. Sometimes they fought but for the most part it was bliss. Terry had gotten a job in an accounting firm to pull his own weight. The pay was a little low for where he lived but it paid for the cable and food. Which was great because Tac ate like a bird. If the groceries were left up to him the only thing in the fridge would be vitamin water and rice cakes. Still, Terry kept his job just so he wouldn't be labeled a 'trophy boyfriend' – Tac told him to take it as a compliment because he was the best and only the best got trophies.

Terry chuckled as he stood under the water. Who knew Tac had a 'bright side' to him. He was a little tense when guests started showing up. But the mood was easy. He nearly forgot about the people trying to kill him when his mother and Matt came by. She told him about a promotion she got and how Matt was doing so well in school they wanted to skip him ahead a grade. They left just before midnight and he was sad to see them go. He actually missed living at home but he couldn't ever go back – living with Tac was just too good. He looked up just as Paxton and Randy came through the door. The billionaire brat shoved his coat into the checkers hands before he grabbed hold of another server. He whispered something to her and she ran off to the bar. Randy just skulked around – taking in their home and looked for a way to ruin something. They were bold but Terry wasn't afraid. He threw his arm around Randy and gave him a smile.

"Hey, it's been a while hasn't it." Terry said. Randy thought for sure he was busted but Terry just talked to him like they had never met before. Like Randy wasn't the man beating the crap out of him and molesting him six months ago.

"I um…"

"Come here, there's someone I want you to meet." Terry said as he pulled him along. "Judge Collins!" The man turned and smiled warmly at Terry.

"Terence – wonderful party." He said before he lifted an eyebrow at Randy. "Whose this?"

"Paxton's colleague." Terry said. "But I was just telling him about the conversation we were having the other day about the laws of nonconsensual, underage exploitation."

"Ah, yes – in regards to that mucky business between you and the young Wayne heir." He said before he put a hand on Terry's shoulder. "Believe me that derelict responsible for spreading that vid around is in for a very hard punishment should he ever be found. No judge in Gotham will give him any less than fifty years in prison for that slander against your darling partner."

"Thank you." Terry said and smiled. The Judge walked off and Randy was about to do the same when Terry tightened his grip on his shirt. He pulled Randy closer until he was an inch away from his face. "I know what you did to him you disgusting piece of shit. My Christmas gift to him is going to be your severed head." Before Randy could register the threat Terry let him go and turned to greet another guest.


End file.
